AM radio fights for survival

[algorerhythms]

why do I get the idea that the last station playing will be hosting Rush Limbaugh?

Rush Limbaugh dies during the final radio broadcast

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The final radio broadcast ever took place last night, with exactly three people, all over the age of 100, listening. The final broadcast was a Rush Limbaugh Show episode, in which Limbaugh blamed the pain in his chest on President Chelsea Clinton. As the show continued, Limbaugh struggled more and more to keep up his argument, until about 10 minutes before the scheduled end of the episode, when the broadcast went silent. Rush Limbaugh had died of a heart attack at age 83. The final remaining radio network has reacted to his death by shutting down its broadcasts, as Limbaugh's show was the only remaining radio show on the network. Advertisers on the network reacted with apathy, as they noted that Facebook still exists and remains popular with the centenarian demographic. Upon Limbaugh's request, his remains will be cremated, mixed with dog feces, and burned in a paper bag on the steps of the White House.

[Laura]

I don't have a smartphone for simple economic reasons.  I already spend $55/month for FiOS (will be over $80/month once my two year discount expires in May 2016).  Why should I spend the same amount just to get a puny monthly allocation of data on a slower connection to be used by a device that is much less convienen to use than my computers?  Give me a mouse and tabbed browsing (seriously, I have 13 tabs open right now, and that's nothing compared to just a few minutes ago; no idea how I'd browse AA Roads or Facebook without them) to a tiny touch screen any day of the week.  While the idea of a smartphone is kinda cool, I can't justify the cost.  Quite frankly, I can't afford it, especially since I spend almost all my time either at home (where I can use computers with my FiOS), at work (where I'm pretty sure people aren't supposed to be on their smartphones), or driving.  It doesn't fit into my life.

And that's fine.  What's not fine is society deciding that I don't need to be fully participating in it because of that.  Or deciding that it should dumb down the desktop computer interfaces to be more phone like.

Honestly, I would have gotten a smartphone years ago if the phone companies would let you use it with wifi only rather than force you to pay an arm and a leg for a data plan.*

*OK, so Ting does allow just that, but even with them I'd be paying more than twice as much (estimated) than what I currently pay Mom to keep me on the family plan.  Plus they're a Sprint reseller, so the network coverage is more limited.

If you don't mind me asking, how much is your current cell phone bill? I pay $45 with Verizon prepay for unlimited talk/text, plus 500 MB of data. This is usually enough for me because most of the time I'm able to use wifi. Occasionally I will pay $5 for another 500 MB. I do still use an iPhone 4 (I could upgrade, but haven't) so I don't have to pay for that.

Clearly none of y'all knew about using 87.7 and 87.9 on your FM transmitters.

I used 87.9 for a while, but even that didn't work in NYC do to adjacent station bleedthrough.  My iTrip didn't go to 87.7.

Yeah, cities and FM transmitters are not friends.

[vdeane]

If you don't mind me asking, how much is your current cell phone bill? I pay $45 with Verizon prepay for unlimited talk/text, plus 500 MB of data. This is usually enough for me because most of the time I'm able to use wifi. Occasionally I will pay $5 for another 500 MB. I do still use an iPhone 4 (I could upgrade, but haven't) so I don't have to pay for that.

I currently pay $14 to Mom every month to stay on the family plan (unlimited Verizon to Verizon talk/text, don't recall the number of minutes/texts for out of network); the $14 is the charge Verizon has for the additional line in the plan.  I don't recall what it would be to split off on its own, but it would be more than $45 (hence the paradox in that it's cheaper to get a data plan than a non-data plan).  That $45 plan is likely what I'd use if/when I eventually split the phone off.

[algorerhythms]

Mine is $35/month for unlimited talk/text (I could get data for $5 more, but I just use wifi). I've been screwed by Verizon before, and there's no way I'd go back.

[Roadgeek2500]

The only AM I listen to would be KYW 1060 and WPHT 1210 on sunday for Sunday With Sinatra & Sid Mark

[Laura]

If you don't mind me asking, how much is your current cell phone bill? I pay $45 with Verizon prepay for unlimited talk/text, plus 500 MB of data. This is usually enough for me because most of the time I'm able to use wifi. Occasionally I will pay $5 for another 500 MB. I do still use an iPhone 4 (I could upgrade, but haven't) so I don't have to pay for that.

I currently pay $14 to Mom every month to stay on the family plan (unlimited Verizon to Verizon talk/text, don't recall the number of minutes/texts for out of network); the $14 is the charge Verizon has for the additional line in the plan.  I don't recall what it would be to split off on its own, but it would be more than $45 (hence the paradox in that it's cheaper to get a data plan than a non-data plan).  That $45 plan is likely what I'd use if/when I eventually split the phone off.

Wow, $14? That's awesome. I can see why you've stayed with a non-smartphone.


iPhone

[Pete from Boston]

Even $45 +$5/500MB seems oddly cheap.  I am still on an old unlimited plan, but even with several gigs per month of use it costs a little more than what it would under those terms. 

[jwolfer]

Even $45 +$5/500MB seems oddly cheap.  I am still on an old unlimited plan, but even with several gigs per month of use it costs a little more than what it would under those terms.

Republic wireless.. $40 month unlimited. It routes everything including calls via WiFi when available. When no WiFi they use sprint network. It works well for the most part. Hand off from wireless to cell will drop calls sometimes.  You can opt for a WiFi only plan for $5/month I think.. Good for kids.. But no stores. Not much choice of phone moto x and no subsided phone. You have to buy phone

[ET21]

Well there's slim hope for AM radio between 2-6pm in Chicago. Steve Dahl on WLS-890AM

[iBallasticwolf2]

In Cincinnati there is still a decent amount of AM radio stations.

[SignGeek101]

I know of one in Toronto. It always displayed traffic and weather on the 1's and was very vital in detouring around Toronto traffic jams. AM 680.

[bandit957]

In Cincinnati there is still a decent amount of AM radio stations.

The only one that anyone actually still listens to is WLW.

I think the last time I genuinely liked anything on Cincinnati AM radio was Carmine Guzman's call-in talk show. That was 20 years ago.

[iBallasticwolf2]

In Cincinnati there is still a decent amount of AM radio stations.

The only one that anyone actually still listens to is WLW.

I think the last time I genuinely liked anything on Cincinnati AM radio was Carmine Guzman's call-in talk show. That was 20 years ago.

Yea WLW is the strongest station anyway

[hbelkins]

I'd say 55KRC gets a substantial listenership in the Cincinnati area, given the programming it carries.

[bandit957]

I'd say 55KRC gets a substantial listenership in the Cincinnati area, given the programming it carries.

The garbage WKRC carries was popular in 1993 - not today.

[Desert Man]

AM radio was once the mainstay of the airwaves, before FM became more popular and the advent of satellite or digital radio.

In my area, I can name the 3 oldest running radio stations: KXO 1230/107.5 (began in 1927) in El Centro Ca.-Yuma Az.-Mexicali Mexico area, KTIE (formerly KFXM) 590 in San Bernardino-Riverside Ca. (began in the 1920s) and KNWZ 970 (formerly KCHV and KCLB-began in 1946) also found on 93.7 in Palm Springs-Indio Ca.

KFXM sound bits I was able to find on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzZ6oBRJc1Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk4x1OiGE5A

[Rothman]

Heh.  We've got WGY here.  Officially dates back to 1922, but GE was tinkering around with it all the way back to 1915, I believe.

[bing101]

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-cbs-announces-cbs-radio-sale-20160315-story.html

Yes CBS planning to end its radio division. The reason is because CBS is going after younger audiences through video on demand apps and other CBS digital entities.

CBS sees radio as an albatross and KNX 1070, WCBS 880, WINS 1010, WBBM 780, and KCBS 740/106.9 are all mentioned on the list that CBS wants to get rid of.

[bing101]

http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2016/03/16/cbs-radio-sale-news-sends-shockwaves-through-its.html


Here's the reaction from Chicago about CBS Radio on the chopping block.

[bing101]

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/uniontrib/20060207/news_1b7disney.html

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-abc-news-radio-cumulus-20140807-story.html

Back in 2006 Disney sold ABC radio affiliates to Citadel radio (Now Known as Cumulus Broadcasting as of 2016)

http://www.slacker.com/station/abc-news
Disney saw the writing on the wall about AM radio as far back as 2006. And yes its to please younger audiences on digital as press releases say.

2014 Disney later sold Radio Disney and ended the OTA edition. Also Cumulus lost their contract in 2015 to run ABC Radio News.  Disney moved ABC Radio to slacker radio apps. AM radio does not have relevance in 2016 its the app and podcast age.

[bandit957]

Just bring back CLU-132 already.

[Desert Man]

KDES of Palm Springs in the 1970s back when the station was either on 920 or 1010, and its FM dial 104.7 (moved to 98.5).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR27Wu12XRU

[Duke87]

I certainly agree with the sentiment that radio broadcasting is obsolete as an entertainment medium, and I expect to live to see a day when it is no longer used as such.

That said, I would caution against outright dismantling all of the infrastructure involved because it serves a very important purpose that most people don't think about until they need it: emergency broadcasts.

Yes, there are other ways of getting information in an emergency. But, AM radio can cover large areas with only one transmitter, and a backup generator can keep the station on air if the power goes out. And a radio receiver can be powered for potentially years after a crisis if you have a large enough stock of alkaline batteries.

All of the more modern forms of technology we're used to using are not nearly as resilient. Cell service is normally unavailable or unreliable in many locations. A power outage will kill your wifi instantly, and can easily knock out cellular service as well, leaving you with no internet access unless you have a wired connection (assuming that hasn't also been knocked out). Meanwhile, the battery on your laptop will be dead in a few hours, and the batteries on your phone and tablet will be dead within 24-48 hours because they are designed to rely on being recharged regularly, you can't simply replace them with fresh pair of AAs when they die.

In the event of a major catastrophe (such as, say, that huge Cascadia earthquake that we know will hit at some point), the people with battery powered radios are the people who will have the longest lasting means of communication with the outside world.

[vdeane]

That's quite resilient.  I wonder if they could survive a coronal mass ejection powerful enough to destroy the power grid.

[mrsman]

I know that AM radio has a much wider reach than FM radio, but FM radio tends to be clearer.  And as I have always lived relatively close to bigger cities, AM and FM radio were always both at my disposal.

Are there significant parts of the country that don't have access to FM radio but do have access to AM radio?

Is there really any major loss to lose AM radio to the extent that FM radio is still available?