[BC] IBOC AM Quality

[Steve Newman]

Good point. When I was working for KING-FM in Seattle we brought in the 
Philadelphia String Quartet members and let them listen to a CD. They had 
never heard one! The didn't like it at all. Well, the filters came and you 
know the rest of the story. Look at the move many have/are making to tube 
mikes and processors. This digital thing has its downside. It reminds me 
when we had a real FCC and the FM Stereo systems were being bandied about. 
One thing that sticks out in my mind was the FCC being adamant about the 
reception of the monophonic signal. The Stereo had to combine to Mono 
correctly. I don't see this kind of thinking going on at all with our deeper 
entries into the digital age.

Steve

Steve Newman
Steve Walker Productions
Opp, Alabama


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Tekel" <amstereoexp at yahoo.com>
To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 9:43 PM
Subject: [BC] IBOC AM Quality


> Listeners have become accustomed to AM's warm, mellow sound, especially
> for talk radio.  They attach this type of sound to the personalities they
> hear, and any drastic change in the sound will seem shockingly different,
> and not necessarily for the better!
>
> I've witnessed this effect myself, when listening to my favorite AM talk
> radio host via the station's web stream. With the bright but heavily-
> artifacted audio and very light processing, it makes him sound like a
> totally different person, and makes him seem less compelling and engaging
> because it's missing AM's "front row seat" sound.  Even programming
> elements like the liners, traffic/weather sounders, and TOH ID / news
> intro seem less authoritative and "important" if they come in softly due
> to the change in (or lack of) processing on the digital audio.
>
> It's just like HDTV.  Many TV hosts are scared of it beacause the high res
> will show every wrinkle and zit on their face.  Some may already be using
> the extra-soft "Barbara Walters" camera filter to compensate for it.