[BC] Can traditional AM and IBOC co-exist?

[Kevin Tekel]

"Reader" wrote:
> Since AM stereo is all but dead, why not have the FCC invite IBOC only
> operation above 1600? Non-directional.

Two points:

1. Based on the number of stations on the air and the number of receivers
in the marketplace, AM IBOC is much more "dead" than AM Stereo is.  Ford
will be happy to sell you a brand new 2005 Mustang with an AM Stereo-
equipped receiver in the dashboard, but ask for one with an HD Radio-
equipped receiver and you'll just get a blank stare.

2. The Expanded Band is skywave land.  I've gotten strong skywave DX in
the Expanded Band even during broad, sunny daylight.  And we all know
IBOC and skywaves don't mix.  Therefore, using IBOC in the Expanded Band
could make things very, very messy: it won't help to improve these
stations' already poor local groundwave coverage, but it will spew out
enough adjacent-channel hash to ruin the local groundwave reception of
stations hundreds of miles away -- even during daytime hours!



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