"D Peter Maus" wrote in message
...
David Eduardo wrote:
"Steve" wrote in message
ups.com...
David Eduardo wrote:
The greater good is trying to preserve the existing free terrestrial
broadcast system, which will not endure unless a digital alternative
is
offered.
We got that through numerous posts you have made.
You may have. DXass certainly hasn't, nor has Steve and the now-absent
"IBOC_Sucks" guy.
And yet, you're the one who wrote, in post 173, that AM will never
become primarily digital and, in fact, you say you "have never heard it
discussed."

I think that most listening in the future will be to the digital signal,
not the analog. I have never heard anyone talk about turning analog off.




I've spoken with two GM's, now, who've said they can't wait to shut the
analog off, and save the cost of power. Especially with energy costs about
to skyrocket here, that can be quite a difference in the bottom line.

That is an interesting reason... spend $100 k at least to go HD, and then
shut off analog to save a couple of thousand.

I just do not think that there would be a win for at least a decade by being
only digital.

I know they talk amongst each other, and I know it's been discussed for
some future date. Nothing official, of course. And nothing from the
Commission. But it's being discussed. And like analog TV, when the digital
audience reaches a certain saturation, it would be fiscally silly to
continue to support a mode that's not being listened to.

This sounds more like the FCC, which is responsible for the sunset law on
analog TV. Hopefully, this was a lesson learned that you can not force
consumers to buy things they do not yet want.