AM/FM Radio is a safety issue

[Doctors Do Little]

But no one here talking about a man cave system, just their Slate. Of course the right system just move it with you. Oh wait, that could be my phone or tablet. Grrrr

Right…tech turns over every 3 years for phones and tablets…so keep your windup solar am/fm emergency radio on a shelf in the barn and game on.

 

[YDR37]

Here in Seattle, the Mariners are on 710 AM.

You're right -- but AM sports stations (and other AM stations) are now commonly simulcast on HD FM subchannels. For example, KIRO 710 AM in Seattle is also available on the FM band, on the HD2 subchannel of KIRO-FM 97.3.

So if you installed a modern HD FM radio in a Slate, you would be able to listen to Mariners games even without AM. Furthermore, HD FM has better sound quality than traditional AM, and would be much less affected by interference from the Slate's motors.

If you can get Mariners games on HD FM, and they sound better, then why does KIRO still broadcast on 710 AM? Well, most cars on the road today don't have HD FM -- they only have traditional analog FM, which can't pick up HD subchannels. Most new cars probably do have HD FM, but most cars on the road aren't new.

 

[YDR37]

If you can get Mariners games on HD FM, and they sound better, then why does KIRO still broadcast on 710 AM? Well, most cars on the road today don't have HD FM -- they only have traditional analog FM, which can't pick up HD subchannels. Most new cars probably do have HD FM, but most cars on the road aren't new.

Another reason for keeping AM: KIRO's traditional analog AM broadcast probably reaches a much wider area than KIRO-FM's digital FM broadcast. Within the Seattle metro area, HD FM would likely sound better than AM -- but if you start driving away from the city, you could eventually lose the HD FM signal, while the AM signal would still come in strong.

 

[JoeBlow-Kokomo]

Another reason for keeping AM: KIRO's traditional analog AM broadcast probably reaches a much wider area than KIRO-FM's digital FM broadcast. Within the Seattle metro area, HD FM would likely sound better than AM -- but if you start driving away from the city, you could eventually lose the HD FM signal, while the AM signal would still come in strong.

is that the nature of the signal or do they just have more powerful AM transmitters? I "think" they were allowed to be bigger back in "the day". My city, Fort Wayne, Indiana had an AM station (WOWO) that could be heard over 1/2 the country at night (signal better) when I was growing up. We'd listen to our local hockey team, the Komets in Florida when there for Christas vacation or spring break. They advertized 50,000 watts. I dont' think you can be that big anymore but could sure be wrong.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

is that the nature of the signal or do they just have more powerful AM transmitters?

It's a characteristic of the frequency band, nighttime atmospheric conditions and sometimes solar flares.

 

[KevinRS]

I was just seeing today that in the past 10 years, 7% of AM stations, and a lower % of FM have gone off the air.
Multiple broadcasters keep declaring bankruptcy, because ad revenue is shrinking.
Most younger listeners and some older go with podcasts and streaming, so advertisers don't want to pay as much for a shrinking audience.

Like I have said before, my local really strong station, that I could stay on up to 60+ miles away before mountains got in the way, switched to a different frequency, apparently with lower power, probably due to these reasons. The new frequency has static on it everywhere I've been. The original frequency is all static now. Another station has started up, in the same format, but it is no stronger, and only has a DJ 4 hours a day on weekdays, I'm not even driving when he is on. I've heard nothing of weather or news on that new station. I think all the rest of the "local" stations have gone to being just repeaters of more distant stations.