[BC] Re: WLW related historical question

[Jeffrey Kopp]

>[Phil:]  With the movement of maritime and aviation from LF, and little other use for the band, it would make sense to open it to regional and national broadcasting, but that may make too much sense.

I actually saw one of those in the mid-70s, when I rode out with an ET buddy to repair a marine beacon at a lighthouse. Great tall IBM pendulum clocks and cam-gearwork driving a couple low-powered xmtrs.

On looking around for historical precedent, I couldn't find any US LF bc's but one in 1921, the Dempsey-Carpentier fight on a temporary RCA station: http://www.oldradio.com/archives/stations/nyradio.htm

I did run across a proposal to broadcast on LW to alleviate BCB congestion by the "Amherst Alliance" to the NTIA, so at least it's occurred to someone else: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/spectrumreform/responses/documents/A5-Substantive%20Written%20Comments.htm

>As Dr. Breakall has shown, vertical radiators are not the only means of transmission.

Aha. Railroad rights-of-way come to mind for pole lines.

>Digital signals such as DRM might usefully extend range without resorting to extreme super power.

OK, bear with me for another off-the-wall brainwave: Program material broadcast at high bitrates for fidelity, with "slots" for news and spots multiplexed in at lower bitrates, to allow (user- or automatically selected) "local service" from regional radiators.

The slots could be scheduled (like the familiar network/local "wheel"), or occur at natural breaks in program material (digital store-and-forward, following upload from local providers).