The Federal Communications Commission Friday adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that recommends giving AM stations the flexibility to voluntarily adopt all-digital broadcasting.
Many AM stations experience interference from electronic devices and other sources that affects audio quality. All-digital broadcasting offers AM broadcasters the potential to improve their signal quality and area of listenable coverage, as well as offer additional services that FM broadcasters currently offer, such as song and artist identification. It also holds the potential to allow AM stations to increase their programming options to include music formats.
In today’s NPRM, the Commission proposes to allow AM stations to voluntarily transition to alldigital transmission. The Commission also proposes establishing operating parameters for alldigital stations to minimize any risk of interference. Finally, the Commission proposes adopting the industry-approved standard for hybrid and all-digital broadcasting.
Radio World reports the vote seems to mark a significant advance toward an outcome where AM owners would have the digital choice. Only one U.S. radio station, owned by Hubbard Radio, operates full-time in all-digital, and does so under special temporary authority.
Advocates think having an all-digital option would be a boon to AM stations, many of which are troubled by economic challenges, band noise and lack of listener interest. Some see it as a logical addition to the AM revitalization effort, bringing benefits like metadata displays that most AM stations currently don’t have, in addition to better sound quality. And some observers, if fewer in number, wonder whether widespread migration to all-digital could substantially revitalize the AM band someday, making it prime spectrum real estate again.
The National Association of Broadcasters applauded the move and said in its statement that “many” AM broadcasters are exploring the potential benefits.
No comments:
Post a Comment