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Who has the most RDS enabled stations in their area?
I've recently upgraded my car stereo and the new unit can decode RDS
signals. I know the service never took off in the US but I was surprised in my travels to find that my home area has more RDS stations than pretty much anywhere else. West of Birmingham, AL I've got 5 different stations providing a signal. So far the only place with more that I've found is Atlanta, with 6 or 7, depending on the area. Are there any markets with 7 or more stations with RDS? Are there any small communities with 100% RDS coverage? ~Zach radio junkie |
More than 10 RDS stations up here 60 miles north of New York City.
-- Remove "zz" from e-mail address to direct reply. "Zach" wrote in message ... I've recently upgraded my car stereo and the new unit can decode RDS signals. I know the service never took off in the US but I was surprised in my travels to find that my home area has more RDS stations than pretty much anywhere else. West of Birmingham, AL I've got 5 different stations providing a signal. So far the only place with more that I've found is Atlanta, with 6 or 7, depending on the area. Are there any markets with 7 or more stations with RDS? Are there any small communities with 100% RDS coverage? ~Zach radio junkie |
In article ,
Zach wrote: Are there any markets with 7 or more stations with RDS? Are there any small communities with 100% RDS coverage? In a quick band scan today in Boston MA I counted 16 - WGBH, WPRO (Providence RI), WBOS, WQSX, WTKK, WBMX, WKKB, WKLB, WFNX (101.3), WFNX (101.7), WODS, WBCN, WROR, WMJX, WAAF (hmm, I missed one). Many of these went RDS in last year or so. I looks like Infinity really jumped on the bandwagon (in this market anyway). It is a pleasant surprise as I've had an RDS Ford radio for a while. Now if we could only get a few AM stations to re-activate their C-Quam Stereo (WBZ, WSNR, WCRN - we know you have the equipment). We are down to three AM Stereo Stations: WILD, WJIB and 1360 (don't know the calls - this one converted to stereo in the last year). My Ford Radio can do C-Quam AM Stereo as well (not IBOC though). |
wrote: Now if we could only get a few AM stations to re-activate their C-Quam Stereo (WBZ, WSNR, WCRN - we know you have the equipment). We are down to three AM Stereo Stations: WILD, WJIB and 1360 (don't know the calls - this one converted to stereo in the last year). My Ford Radio can do C-Quam AM Stereo as well (not IBOC though). Not to launch another AM Stereo flame war but... I've noticed that WPGC (1580 AM) runs with C-Quam during their daytime 50Kw authorization, but then drops the C-Quam when they lower power (to 270 watts!) and change their pattern at night. I live within 10 miles of their plant (but still inside the pattern), so I'm not entire certain that they actually turn off the C-Quam or if the signal is merely so poor that C-quam just isn't possible. What would be the advantages of disabling C-Quam during protected hours? Thanks, Jeremy Powell |
Garrett Wollman wrote: (If I ran Oldies I certainly wouldn't want to be without RDS when the closest competition has both RDS and a better signal downtown....) Looks like Clear Channel and Radio One are the odd broadcasters out in this survey. Were it not for WPOC in Baltimore and WBIG in D.C., I'd almost think that Clear Channel had something *against* RDS. RDS was used at WMZQ back when it was owned by Chancellor - abruptly disabled when bought by Clear Channel; the same for WWDC and WGAY (now WIHT). Can anyone recall what other D.C./Baltimore stations were running with RDS that now have it disabled? Bonneville seems to have bought into the idea recently. WGMS has been using RDS for several years now, as has WTOP-FM. They recently (within the last six months) RDS enabled WWZZ as well. Infinity uses RDS on WHFS, WQSR and WMMX, but nowhere else I can detect in the Baltimore/Washington markets - so it still seems a little hit and miss. Best, Jeremy Powell |
"TritonVA" wrote in message
... (...snip...) Not to launch another AM Stereo flame war but... I've noticed that WPGC (1580 AM) runs with C-Quam during their daytime 50Kw authorization, but then drops the C-Quam when they lower power (to 270 watts!) and change their pattern at night. I live within 10 miles of their plant (but still inside the pattern), so I'm not entire certain that they actually turn off the C-Quam or if the signal is merely so poor that C-quam just isn't possible. What would be the advantages of disabling C-Quam during protected hours? Just a guess, but they may use 2 different transmitters...one for days, and one for nights, given the large discrepancy between operating power levels. Heck, the control circuits of the high-power 50 kW xmtr probably use more than 270 watts of AC power just running in standby !! In any case, it may be as simple as the low-power transmitter not being equipped with a C-QUAM exciter (or it not being in working condition) ..... and judged not to be worth the $$ it would take to repair/replace/install in the first place. |
"TritonVA" wrote in message ... Can anyone recall what other D.C./Baltimore stations were running with RDS that now have it disabled? At least WETA and WPFW. I haven't checked - does WGTS still run RDS? |
R J Carpenter wrote:
"TritonVA" wrote in message ... Can anyone recall what other D.C./Baltimore stations were running with RDS that now have it disabled? At least WETA and WPFW. I haven't checked - does WGTS still run RDS? Curious: When did WETA and WPFW actually have RDS enabled? I don't recall ever seeing that. As for WGTS; I'll run out to my truck at lunch time and let you know. The last time I checked they still were running with it. Do they have any association with (like formatted)WAVA? As a side note - WAVA is running with RDS as well. Jeremy |
M.B. wrote: Just a guess, but they may use 2 different transmitters...one for days, and one for nights, given the large discrepancy between operating power levels. Heck, the control circuits of the high-power 50 kW xmtr probably use more than 270 watts of AC power just running in standby !! In any case, it may be as simple as the low-power transmitter not being equipped with a C-QUAM exciter (or it not being in working condition) ..... and judged not to be worth the $$ it would take to repair/replace/install in the first place. Doh! This had never occurred to me for some reason. At 270 watts, in a city as RF noisy as Washington D.C., I can't imagine that they'd have a huge listenship at night in the first place - so the financials probably don't make sense to maintain the C-Quam at night. Which begs the question: why don't these stations just throw in the towel for the after sunset crowd? Are they really generating enough revenue with their non-existant nighttime numbers to justify the AC for the xtmr? I can't count a half dozen stations in the D.C./Baltimore markets that *barely* cover their C.O. at night. And turning down all those pip-squeak stations at night *just* might lower the noise floor for everybody else... How do AM stations with sunset flea power price their overnight inventory? Surely the sales team doesn't price these spots the same as a daypart spot, right? - Jeremy Powell |
In article , TritonVA wrote:
Doh! This had never occurred to me for some reason. At 270 watts, in a city as RF noisy as Washington D.C., I can't imagine that they'd have a huge listenship at night in the first place - so the financials probably don't make sense to maintain the C-Quam at night. A 5 watt nighttime station on AM 74 in Cambridge, Mass. does cover Boston and Cambridge quite well.. Why is Washington DC so RF noisy? markets that *barely* cover their C.O. at night. And turning down all those pip-squeak stations at night *just* might lower the noise floor for everybody else... Correct. It might. However these stations are under the impression that they have listeners even during the daytime - period. -- Sven Weil New York City, U.S.A. |
"Steven J Sobol" wrote in message ... R J Carpenter wrote: 99.5 JAMN 995 DC Washington (WJMO) DC'S JAMMIN' OLDIES Just out of curiosity, who owns WMJO-FM these days? Infinity? Radio One. The AM calls are still in Cleveland (my alma mater in radio, in fact) and the FM is in Richmond, VA. |
"Steven J Sobol" wrote in message ... R J Carpenter wrote: 99.5 JAMN 995 DC Washington (WJMO) DC'S JAMMIN' OLDIES Just out of curiosity, who owns WMJO-FM these days? Infinity? Since April 2001 they are WIHT - hot. Owned by CC. Quoting from DCRTV.com: http://www.dcrtv.net/mediawf.html 99.5 WIHT WASHINGTON DC contemporary In April 2001 station owner Clear Channel flipped 99.5 from "Jammin' Oldies" to a "hot" rhythmic urbanish contemporary hit format. The WJMO calls became WIHT. The urban oldies format (as WJMO) only lasted two years - being born in April 1999. Before that, 99.5 spent more than three decades playing relaxing music as WGAY. WGAY played a laid back mix of adult contemporary tunes which evolved from elevator music of the 1970s. The old WGAY of the 1960s and 1970s was the ultimate "relaaaaaxing" elevator music station. Its ads featured station programmer Bob Chandler leaning way back in a recliner with his station's "easy" music playing in the background. For a while in the early 1990s, WGAY switched its calls and became "Bright 99.5" WEBR, but listeners didn't accept the more up-tempo music. Clear Channel owns WIHT. The first station on this frequency was WCFM, owned by the Cooperative Broadcasting Association. The station went dark for a while before WGAY arrived. ============================ Also from DCRTV: July 21, 2003 PGC's 1st Again, TOP Jumps To 2nd Once again urban WPGC-FM was in 1st place (up from winter's 2nd) in the spring Arbitron quarterly radio ratings for DC, out on 7/21. In the overall age 12+ numbers, all-news WTOP placed 2nd (up from 3rd). Adult urban WMMJ ranked 3rd (down from 1st), with adult urban WHUR 4th (up from 6th), urban WKYS 5th (down from 4th), classical WGMS 6th (down from 4th), news talk WMAL 7th (holding level), smooth jazz WJZW 8th (up from 9th), with a tie for 9th between country WMZQ (up from 13th) and oldies WBIG (up from 12th). Hot talk WJFK-FM was 11th (up from 14th), hot adult contemporary WRQX 12th (down from 8th), rhythmic contemporary WIHT 13th (down from 11th), adult contemporary WASH 14th (down from 9th) in a tie with rocker WWDC (up from 16th). [My comment -- WMMJ is a Class A station, the rest of the FMs are B.] |
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In article , Rich Wood wrote:
The FM was WXHR which became WJIB(FM), then something else, then something else and is now WTKK. I worked there when it was WJIB. I recorded the bells. I'd love to get the master. Have you ever met the owner Bob Bittner? He also owns WJTO in Bath, Maine. I think that's one is either oan AM 73 or AM 75... Both of them used to program instrumental music, but in the past few months he has tweaked it into a mix of standards, instrumentals and some very very limited soft pop. Terrific mix. Also is the host of the two-hour long monthly "Let's Talk About Radio" show on Sundays. Used to be a weekly hour long show. -- Sven Weil New York City, U.S.A. |
C-Quam is very sensitive to co-channel interference. At 270 watts
they'd be vulnerable to every signal. The resulting platform motion would make every listener run for their barf bags. Just like most FM Stereo receivers, modern AM Stereo receivers employ a Stereo Blend feature which progressively blends weak and/or unstable signals toward mono in order to improve the reception quality. In general, considerable improvement has been made in the quality of AM Stereo reception of weaker signals. The following web site offers some sample recordings of the new Fanfare FTA-100P tuner, receiving clear, noise-free AM Stereo from stations up to 80 miles away during the *daytime*: http://www.fanfare.com/soundbites.html |
In article , WBRW wrote:
some sample recordings of the new Fanfare FTA-100P tuner, receiving clear, noise-free AM Stereo from stations up to 80 miles away during The endless proposers of AM stereo fail to keep in mind one thing. WHO ON EARTH is going to pay US$1,700 for an AM Stereo (or even an AM/FM) tuner that has to be then connected to a stand-alone amplifier so they can listen to Michael Savage or Rush Limbaugh in stereo? You're talking about people who buy US$10 portable off-brand radios at closeout and discount spots and also those all-in-one ministereos that cost at most a couple of hundred dollars. Most of these things sound crappy to begin with and are mostly bought becasue the people want to either listen to their music at work or blast it with lots of bass at home for a party. And usually they're playing tapes, records or mostly CDs. Please note that this is also my reservation towards AM (and FM) IBOC. People won't buy these things if the improvement in sound quality is practically negligible if all you're going to do is listen to the same talk and music you can get from a $20 boombox. Explains why the government is pushing to get the analog side of things shut off....they just want to tinker with market forces and twist them to suit their convenience. -- Sven Weil New York City, U.S.A. |
WBRW wrote:
In general, considerable improvement has been made in the quality of AM Stereo reception of weaker signals. The following web site offers some sample recordings of the new Fanfare FTA-100P tuner, receiving clear, noise-free AM Stereo from stations up to 80 miles away during the *daytime*: http://www.fanfare.com/soundbites.html Good demonstrations. To my ear, it sounds like the CFCO broadcasts sound like they have a better frequency response. Is Canada running under the same 10kHz limit that the USA is? |
In article ,
TritonVA wrote: M.B. wrote: Just a guess, but they may use 2 different transmitters...one for days, and one for nights, given the large discrepancy between operating power levels. Heck, the control circuits of the high-power 50 kW xmtr probably use more than 270 watts of AC power just running in standby !! In any case, it may be as simple as the low-power transmitter not being equipped with a C-QUAM exciter (or it not being in working condition) ..... and judged not to be worth the $$ it would take to repair/replace/install in the first place. Doh! This had never occurred to me for some reason. At 270 watts, in a city as RF noisy as Washington D.C., I can't imagine that they'd have a huge listenship at night in the first place - so the financials probably don't make sense to maintain the C-Quam at night. Which begs the question: why don't these stations just throw in the towel for the after sunset crowd? Are they really generating enough revenue with their non-existant nighttime numbers to justify the AC for the xtmr? I can't count a half dozen stations in the D.C./Baltimore markets that *barely* cover their C.O. at night. And turning down all those pip-squeak stations at night *just* might lower the noise floor for everybody else... How do AM stations with sunset flea power price their overnight inventory? Surely the sales team doesn't price these spots the same as a daypart spot, right? - Jeremy Powell WHVO in Hopkinsville KY drops to 24 watts and has a decent signal which covers about 6 - 8 square miles. George K3UD |
In article , K3UD wrote:
WHVO in Hopkinsville KY drops to 24 watts and has a decent signal which covers about 6 - 8 square miles. That's providing there's anyone in that tiny area. This may work in a high-population density city like Boston/Cambridge.... How crowded is Hopkinsville, Kent.? -- Sven Weil New York City, U.S.A. [ Moderator's note: I have family in Hopkinsville, KY. The area is fairly well populated... Fort Campbell straddles the city and state lines, with half of the base sitting in Hopkinsville, and the rest sitting in Clarksville, Tennessee. The base itself is pretty big. ] |
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