[BC] IBOC Tentatively Identified as Interfering Signal

[N0JAA@aol.com]

Another view of IBOC, from the Amateur Radio Newsline Report #1513.
 
 
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:  IBOC TENTATIVELY IDENTIFIED AS INTERFERING  SIGNAL

IBOC digital radio is making it all but impossible for listeners  in some 
areas to hear their favorite stations in another near-by city or town.  Burt 
Hicks, WB6MQV, reports:

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IBOC stands for In Band On  Channel broadcasting.  It?s a system that permits 
broadcasters on the  medium wave and VHF FM bands to add digital audio 
without removing their analog  signal,.  This is done by adding the digital on the 
same frequency as the  analog.  The theory is that a digital receiver will 
decode the digital  signal and ignore the analog one.  On the other hand, the 
digital signal  will only sound like off channel noise on an analog radio.

The hypothesis  is a correct one, but it does not take into account the large 
number of folks  who want to hear F-M stations in a near-by city or town that 
the IBOC digital  sidebands drown out.  In one example, a listener wrote to 
the CGC  Communicator saying that ever since San Diego station KUSS, on 95.7 
MHz  added IBOC, his reception of KLOS has been wiped out.  KLOS operates  on 
95.5 MHz and broadcasts from Mt. Wilson in the Los Angeles area.  KUSS,  
although licensed to Carlsbad, California actually  transmits from Mt.  Soledad about 
23 miles to the south.

The addition of IBOC has effectively  killed reception of KLOS in northern 
San Diego county as it has for listeners of  other stations from outside of 
their normal reception areas,  nationwide.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I'm Burt Hicks,  WB6MQV.

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While radio hobbyists see IBOC as an annoyance in  D-Xing distant broadcast 
band signals, broadcasters reportedly like the idea  because of the potential 
for increased revenue that higher quality audio will  bring.  (CGC)