[BC] Re: Travelers Advisory & Public Safety Radio

[Alan Peterson]

(AP)>Is there some FCC regulation that says every station between 1600 and 1710 kHz is required to sound like s***?
>
(Dana) >Actually yes there is...
>FCC regulations require TIS stations to limit their audio bandwidth to 3 kHz. This is done for two reasons: The first (and main reason) is to limit interference with licensed AM stations and the second is to MAKE them sound bad when running non voice programming to discourage their use as a 'regular'
>radio station.
>
>-D
--------------------
   I follow that just fine; that's why "talking house" real estate transmitters also sound awful. But the distortion and the carelessness with playback? That's just not good practice at all. For "emergency" and "information" radios to sound like crud *by design* while channel-6-TVs-masquerading-as-FMs get a free pass is absurd. And to repeat the same bad audio ad nauseum for two years ("stock up on water, duct-tape around your windows, keep a crank-up radio nearby") is not doing the service any real good.
   When the moon falls out of the sky and hits us in the ass, I fear not a lot of folks are going to be able to even UNDERSTAND what is being presented on these stations.
   And again, one exception. Here is what Arlington VA is doing -- http://www.govtech.com/em/101710

-ap