[BC] Open discussion.....
Kent Winrich, K9EZ
kwinrich
Sat Jan 21 14:14:40 CST 2006
Barry,
It was not my intention to try to eliminate dissent, but to have a
quality discussion. Yes there are issues with HD Radio. They need to
be discussed and discussed in a manner (IMHO) where we can make
improvements. Like it or not, it is here.
I certainly dont have all of the answers, hence the reason I was here..
to learn. There are people far smarter than I will ever be lurking
here. If I have something I can offer I will certainly be there to
offer it.
I am in the middle of HD roll outs. As a matter of fact I just lit up
and HD2 this week. I have learned a lot in the past year about how to
make HD sound good. I am sure I am not perfect, and I will always try
to do better. It has come through trial and error.
This technology is new and we as radio people need to help each other
out. At least that is the tact I am taking locally. I have made
presentations to our local radio alliance, and have even volunteered to
present at our competitors facilities. I see a lot of mis-information
regarding HD Radio. One would think that it is the end of the world.
In regards to FM HD, I have seen very few problems. The main issue I
see is that the range of the HD signal comes up a little short. Living
between Chicago and Milwaukee (I am sure NY/Philly would be even more
difficult) I have not seen issues between stations, even short spaced
stations.
In regards to AMs, I would be most interested in seeing what a nighttime
HD signal would do to other stations. We can guess but until we try do
we really know? And what do we use as a standard to make these
measurements?
Most listeners could care less about distant stations. Are the locals
truly going to lose their range within their market? Again I can guess
but I do not know for sure. If it doesnt work, so be it. But there is
nothing lost by at least TRYING. Why should we throw our collective
hands in the air without giving it a try? In my short time in radio, I
have found that things dont always turn out like I think they will. I
can be book smart, but sometimes I get blind sided, and until I get my
hands dirty in something, I really would not be sure how things will
turn out. We makes mistakes, learn from it, and move on.
We have been so used to the way radio has been done over the past 80+
years. Welcome to a shift in how radio is done! Things will not be the
same. If we keep that same frame of mind, we cannot improve on what we
have. Many have a problem with change. Some say that digital radio is
destroying what we presently have. I dont see that in FM, and the jury
is still out on AM. OK so I can hear the sidebands on an AM HD
station. What does that TRULY MEAN? Are my locals getting wiped out?
People tell me that sky wave doesnt mean anything anymore. Personally I
am a DXer and I enjoy listening to distant stations. But how does it
effect our business? Does out typical listener really care if they can
get a station 1000 miles away? Or are we just used to the fact that we
were lucky on some nights to be able to get that 1000 mile station?
I also see a lot of arm chair PDing (if you will allow that acronym)
going on here. I am not a PD. I just make things work and make sure
they sound good. Perhaps out little market is different than others. I
think we have a pretty decent mix of programming including a lot of
local programming. Heck we even have a commercial classical station!
(And you thought Milwaukee was only about Lavern and Shirley......) Why
shouldnt we try to offer more selection? And now that we do, we have
people complaining about that. I guess there is no pleasing everyone.
I also see a lot of people flipping out over satellite (less than 3% of
the listening audience may I remind you). Is radio changing? Yes. It
sounds to me that so many have given up. The constant negativism that I
see in this line of business is incredible. I see a lot of unhappy
people. Too bad, because I am having the time of my life. If you
consider me a cheerleader, so be it. I would rather be that than to go
out of my way to find fault with everything out there. Again, my
company pays me for solutions, not to find fault.
Perhaps I am just naive.
Barry Mishkind wrote:
> At 11:28 AM 1/21/2006, Kent Winrich, K9EZ wrote
>
>> Fine I guess I have been out voted.
>
>
> I don't think so.
>
>> If you folks consider Jabba The HD, IBUZ, et al to be a quality
>> discussion about how we can improve the situation, then I have not
>> much else to say.
>
>
> I think most of those that do are merely reflecting their
> frustration at what they see as a "broken process."
> However, the reality is that the FCC has mandated what
> we have right now.
>
> NOTHING SAID ON THIS LIST will mean anything unless
> the various proponents get out and DO something.
>
> Does someone support IBOC? Start installing them.
> Does someone detest IBOC? Give us the reference number of
> the petition you filed with the FCC.
>
> We KNOW there are problems. We KNOW this can be
> done better from a technical aspect.
>
> Who is going to do it?
>
>> All I was trying to do folks is to generate quality discussion on
>> improvements.
>
>
> Then let's get it on.
>
> How would *you* improve things? What do you see
> as the first step?
>
>> There is nothing really to learn here...... and that is why I was a
>> part of this.
>
>
> That is totally untrue, and a very unfortunate generalization.
> For example, Steve Davis (you've maybe heard of him?) has taken
> the time and effort (several times) to share information with
> this
> group. Is there nothing you can learn from Steve?
> Some took the opportunity to merely deride him.
>
> Frankly, there are days when I look at the posts on this
> list and heave a sigh.
>
> As I've mentioned before, we have several options, some of which
> I consider poor. We can set the list for "vetting" each post,
> and we
> can prevent any negative views (and remember, depending upon
> your position, this can mean quite different things) from
> reaching
> the list. If someone wants to pay me to sit and do that all day,
> we can reach a suitable arrangement. <g>
>
> I can save about 60-90 minutes a day by not moderating, not
> trapping some threads and re-directing them (many of you know
> that I send out many private emails each day, trying to help
> keep things in a positive spirit) and just letting anything
> through.
> That would kill the list in about a week.
>
> I'm open to constructive thoughts, but unless this is a very
> "confined" list, with no chat, no dissension, narrowly focused
> (remember, we are trying to bridge engineering, IT, and
> programming
> folk on this list) topics, there is going to be some
> "wandering" of
> the threads.
>
> One thing is for sure ....
> Those whose reaction to anyone posting information is
> merely to attack will be finding themselves invited elsewhere.
>
>
>
>
>> Dave Dunsmoor wrote:
>>
>>>> I won't lose any sleep but I'll miss you. Fire up the filter. If the
>>>> rest of the list would like me to go, just let me know and I'll
>>>>
>>> unsubscribe.
>>>
>>>
>>>> Rich
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> You stay put. I don't always agree with everything you say or
>>> how you
>>> say it, but in my view, yours is the voice of reason regarding IBOC
>>> and it's
>>> negative effects on AM radio. I personally have heard very little
>>> IBOC, but
>>> what I've heard I don't like. The infatuation that the powers that
>>> be seem
>>> to have with "all things digital" has severely clouded their
>>> judgment. Had
>>> they done this IBOC correctly, I'd be all over it, and would have
>>> bought one
>>> (or more) of the receivers already. As it is, when my MANY analog
>>> radios in
>>> the house, car and office go silent, (or buzzy, whichever the case
>>> may be),
>>> I'll find something else to listen to, and as others have said,
>>> there are
>>> MANY alternate options.
>>>
>>> We just bought our son an IPOD for his birthday. What a neat
>>> gadget. I
>>> would have never looked at one before, but I do see it's attraction
>>> for the
>>> younger folks, and they're all over the place now. Shortwave radio will
>>> certainly increase it's presence in my listening. I currently listen
>>> to AM
>>> while on the road (40 - 50 k miles/year), FM in the office, and
>>> AM/shortwave
>>> at home and in the shop.
>>>
>>> But IBOC will not likely ever sell ads to my household. I won't
>>> pay $$$
>>> for radio that doesn't provide me with something interesting/useful.
>>> If the
>>> next car I buy has it installed, so be it, but not being able to
>>> listen to a
>>> specific station a long way off for the content I want to hear as I
>>> drive
>>> around the country will just cause me to eliminate AM from my selection
>>> list. Currently, and in the past, AM radio has made $$$ by me buying
>>> based
>>> on their ads. Won't likely happen in the future.
>>>
>>> Just my humble opinions....take them or leave them as you see fit.
>>>
>>> Dave Dunsmoor
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Barry Mishkind - Tucson, AZ - 520-296-3797
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> To send to the list, email: broadcast at radiolists.net
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