[BC] Early FM Growth. Its Cause

[Wade Giddens]

I remember when I first worked in radio in 1981, we would sign off the AM
station at sundown with a script that invited the audience to listen to the
stereo sound of the FM station until 10:00.  The stations were simulcast
most of the time that both were on the air.  I had this weird picture in my
head of somebody grumbling that the AM station was signing off, so they'd
have to switch the radio to FM until the next morning, when they could
listen to the AM again.

As I remember the story, several years ago, a college student who worked at
an AM station told me that she had told another student that she worked at a
radio station.  When she told the student what station it was, and what the
frequency was on the AM dial, the response was something like, "I didn't
know there were AM stations, anymore."   Maybe there were no AM 
stations in
her hometown, anymore.  My hometown used to have 3 AM stations.  Now, it has
none.

Another college student, in a different part of the state,  told me a few
years ago that he usually listens to AM!  He said he listens to an
all-sports format AM station.  Here are my suggestions for AM radio:  Give
people programming for which there is a demand, that is NOT available in
that market on FM, make sure the station has good sound quality, is
programmed in a professional manner, and is heavily promoted so that people
know that it exists.  You can't make everyone like a particular station, but
they SHOULD know that it exists.