[grc] [Nceorg] Simulcast DRM / Analogue

Wed May 11 13:25:03 PDT 2016

What I am really hoping for is a high quality daily world radio news cast
that has not been cooped back into the establishment with a clean
distribution system.
The once very good Pacifica news network is now failing as it dumbs down
the news and has dumped all news programing on two of its five stations so
far.

> There are two essential components to broadcasting. You must first
> provide a signal in the area where you want to serve and then you must
> have listeners willing to listen.
> 
> SW broadcasts can probably do the former with some difficulties. It would
> fail miserably at the latter. It’s hard enough to get people to listen
> to high quality, relatively noise-free FM using a cheap receiver they
> already own - they are not going to go out and buy a receiver just to
> listen to a signal that is compromised by fading and noise levels so high
> that the receivers can’t lock to the digital signal on frequencies that
> shift throughout the year.
> 
> Contrary to what folks may think, what’s killing broadcasting is not
> the lack of availability of channels, but the lack of availability of
> listeners.
> 
> I asked my little girl how much she listens to radio. She’s a well
> educated, college graduate - a good leftie working for an NGO doing
> affordable housing. After we ascertained that podcasting didn’t count,
> her answer was 3 or 4 hours per week. There’s no business model there -
> even if you don’t believe in business!
> 
> There just isn’t any real pent up demand for new radio outlets. Or more
> precisely, any pent up demand would result in anything viable.
> 
> Gray
> 
>> On May 11, 2016, at 12:09 PM, Tom Voorhees <juice at whidbey.com> wrote:
>> 
>> My thought in the original post was the possibility of a AM transition
> to DRM opening up more medium wave RF spectrum to community radio in the
> united states.
>> 
>> OK from what's been said, it's now apparent AM band DRM is not going to
> happen any time soon in the US.
>> 
>> Now with some long time international short wave stations going silent
> and DRM SW broadcasts legal originating from the united states and radio
> for peace international (RFPI) being forced off the air in Costa Rica
> some ten years ago - DRM short wave could cover a lot of ground in the
> united states wile it is intended to be directed to outside the US by the
> FCC.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> In 2005, the DRM Consortium did file comments recommending that the 
>> Commission also look at alternative codecs in the NRSC-5 standard.
>> 
>> "For reasons of flexibility in the future, for both broadcasters and 
>> radio listeners, it will be adventageous to have within the U.S. IBOC 
>> standard the possibility of audio codecs that can function at low bit 
>> rates and are 'non-proprietary'. Consumer receivers then will be able 
>> to decode more than one or two audio programs per assigned carrier 
>> frequency." (MM Docket 99-325, Reply Comments of Digital Radio Mondiale
> 
>> at 5, 7/28/2005).
>> 
>> In a 2006 ex parte, the DRM consortium did meet with staff about using 
>> DRM on 26 MHz as a community broadcasting solution.
>> 
>> REC does not support any kind of digital audio broadcasting (hybrid or 
>> full digital) in the medium wave (525 to 1705 kHz) band.
>> 
>> =m
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On 5/11/2016 12:36 PM, Gray Frierson Haertig wrote:
>>> That actually isn’t true. Nobody has proposed DRM to the FCC as a
> standard and done the required testing and work necessary to get it
> adopted as a standard.
>>>
>>> Even had it been done, DRM still would not be a solution for hybrid
> operation on the AM band - that pesky physics again.
>>>
>>>
>>> Gray
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> On May 11, 2016, at 9:26 AM, Michelle Bradley <mae at recnet.com>
> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> My point is not about physics.. it's about politics. The FCC will
> not consider any other domestic DAB solution that is not iBiquity whether
> it's AM or FM.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> =m
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 5/11/2016 11:09 AM, Gray Frierson Haertig wrote:
>>>>> I think it is more physics than iBiquiti that presents the problem
> with hybrid operations in the AM band.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Gray
>>>>>
>>>>>> On May 11, 2016, at 6:58 AM, Michelle Bradley <mae at recnet.com>
> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I agree. Because of iBiquity's influence, we can rule out the AM
> broadcast band.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The FCC does permit international broadcast stations to use DRM in
> the shortwave bands.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Under the current regulatory regime, any other use of DRM is
> purely experimental.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> =m
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 5/11/2016 9:54 AM, Gray Frierson Haertig wrote:
>>>>>>> First, DRM is not authorized in the US. Second, hybrid DRM (that
> is, simultaneous digital and analog transmissions) has the same problem
> that hybrid HD Radio (IBOC) has, there really isn’t sufficient
> bandwidth in a single AM channel to pull this off in a robust and
> convincing manner.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Gray
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On May 10, 2016, at 10:26 PM, Tom Voorhees <juice at whidbey.com>
> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Could DRM / analogue simulcast be a opportunity for community
> radio with so many smaller AM stations for sale? Commercial stations can
> be converted to non-profits.
>>>>>>>> Tom.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>
http://www.radioandmusic.com/biz/radio/air/160510-drm-transmitters-replace-13-mw-transmitters-border-areas#
>>>>>>>> NEW DELHI: A total of 35 medium wave transmitters have been
> replaced by Digital Radio Mondiale transmitters in the country.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Parliament was informed on Tuesday that these include 13 MW
> transmitters providing coverage to border areas.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan
> Rathore said that some of the transmitters installed in our border
> districts may provide coverage to areas across the border.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> DRM transmitters installed by All India Radio are capable of
> broadcast in analogue or digital or simulcast mode (both analogue and
> digital mode simultaneously).
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Presently, these transmitters are functioning in simulcast mode
> (analogue and digital mode) and both types of listeners having analogue
> and digital DRM receivers are capable to receive AIR programmes broadcast
> from DRM transmitters, he added.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>> Nceorg at lists.prometheusradio.org
>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>> ===============================
>>>>>>> Telecommunications Engineers
>>>>>>> Gray Frierson Haertig & Assoc.
>>>>>>> 4646 S.W. Council Crest Drive
>>>>>>> Portland, Oregon 97239
>>>>>>> 503-282-2989
>>>>>>> 503-807-2989 Cell
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>
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>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>> Nceorg at lists.prometheusradio.org
>>>>>>
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>>>>> ===============================
>>>>> Telecommunications Engineers
>>>>> Gray Frierson Haertig & Assoc.
>>>>> 4646 S.W. Council Crest Drive
>>>>> Portland, Oregon 97239
>>>>> 503-282-2989
>>>>> 503-807-2989 Cell
>>>>>
>>>>
>>> ===============================
>>> Telecommunications Engineers
>>> Gray Frierson Haertig & Assoc.
>>> 4646 S.W. Council Crest Drive
>>> Portland, Oregon 97239
>>> 503-282-2989
>>> 503-807-2989 Cell
>>>
>> 
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> 
> ===============================
> Telecommunications Engineers
> Gray Frierson Haertig & Assoc.
> 4646 S.W. Council Crest Drive
> Portland, Oregon 97239
> 503-282-2989
> 503-807-2989 Cell
> 
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