[BC] FCC Deletes digital report from today's meeting

[Bailey, Scott]

The average listener doesn't care about skywave.  In the US, skywave
listening on AM is less than 1%. There is a group of people that care
about skywave because it is a hobby to them to receive distant signals
on the AM band. I monitor their list and they even admit their hobby is
dying!

If IBOC goes through, which I believe it will, then that's the end of AM
skywave all together. I know many truck drivers that live in my area,
and travel the country picking up and dropping off loads.  They listen
to XM or Sirius. They have told me they hate the skywave of AM, don't
listen to FM at all, but they enjoy the clear, crisp sound of Satellite
Radio, plus they listen to all the overnight programming geared to
truckers. Some have told me they have even turned off their CB radios
because they find the Satellite Radio more informative than the nasty,
offensive, 27 MHz band.

Once again, looking outside to the average listening who works outside
the broadcast industry or hobbyist, they could care less about
AM...PERIOD! I read where WGN claims they have all these listeners at
night outside Chicago. That's bull crap! When IBOC really kicks in at
night, there won't be a sole to hear it outside Chicago anyway.

Local content radio, with the exception of emergency situations, is just
about gone!

Scott







Another thing: I'm not sure anyone (average listener) cares about night 
skywave.

In my small market, I get 4 AM's, and can also get San Antonio 140 miles

and Houston 200 miles. Right now, 820 and 1080 from Dallas barrel in.

But.. at any time in the evening, there's no local content, except a 
baseball game. If there is no game, it's 3 signals with the same
satellite 
show, only the local ads are different.

So who needs skywave anyhow?!

That's one view. Over-The-Road truckers were / are early adopters of 
Satellite (XM/Sirius). and use those services without terrestrial 
augmentation. No more trying to pick up the 3-letter powerhouses for
that 
overnight drive - just punch up channel xx and enjoy. And do note that
on 
XM's lineup there are overnight talk geared to truckers.


mwe

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