[BC] WCBS dumps IBOC, returns to "High Definition" AM

[Bill Harms]

Is this a good argument for skipping the analog-digital stage and 
going straight to the digital only stage?

Bill Harms
Elkirdge, Maryland

On 28 Jun 2006 at 16:09, ] wrote:

> After less than a week of transmitting the IBOC buzz, NYC's 880 WCBS has
> returned to "High Definition" analog AM with crisp, clear 10 kHz audio.
> A possible reason for this may be the numerous complaints they received
> due to the 8-1/2 second delay the IBOC exciter added to their audio, which
> made their Yankees play-by-play out of synch for people listening at the
> game or while watching it on TV.  I first noticed the IBOC hash generator
> was off during a Yankees game today, but now during normal "Newsradio"
> programming it is still off, and their audio sounds a lot better too.
> 
> When they had the IBOC on, their analog audio was still pretty crisp
> (they had it in 8 kHz bandwidth mode) but it had a strange kind of
> clipping distortion which made the announcers sound like they were holding
> their nose while they spoke, and for an all-news format that can get
> rather annoying.  There was also some rather obvious slack in the AGC;
> when jumping from one programming element to the next, the audio would
> often start out very quiet and gradually ramp up in level.  With their old
> processing (Optimod 9100?) now back in service, there is still a little
> gain-riding in these instances but it is a lot smoother and all of that
> nasty distortion is gone.  And of course on a wideband receiver there is
> no mistaking that beautiful full-bandwidth audio!
> 
> 
> 
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