Wednesday, January 27, 2016

                               LAST RITES OR LAST STAND FOR AM RADIO?

I read recently an article online by Bobby Owsinski dealing with what many have
 been thinking that sadly, the days of AM radio may be coming to a close. Here's 
some of what Owsinski said:

"One of the reasons is that electric cars like the Tesla Model X or BMW i3 don't 
install them since the AM reception is impossible due to the internal electrical noise
 of the car. That said, the demand for AM has been way down as almost everywhere
in the country AM stations are almost always at the bottom of the Arbitron ratings. 
It's now the place for news, talk radio and sports, but not music. In fact, even sports
is abandoning the band for FM.

In Europe, AM stations are being rapidly shut down on a national scale. Norway and

Germany have discontinued all AM broadcasting, and even perennial heavyweights 
like Radio Luxembourg and Armed Forces Radio have shut down their AM signals.

4 (1)In some cases, even FM may go dark as many countries opt for  

Digital Audio Broadcasting instead."

Yes, how sad, that the medium that used to play the hit music, 
and break the hit music-AM Radio-is on Life Support. It didn't
(or doesn't) have to be this way or this certain. In my view, 
programmers, and radio people gave up trying to resuscitate a 
dying entity. It just was "accepted" that AM could only survive on a diet of news, talk 
or sports. Radio gave up on it's local viability that AM used to provide. 
As Bobby Owsinski went on to say in his article for www.hypebot.com... 
"losing the local musical flavor of radio is a sad twist of fate that will ultimately be bad 
for musicians, artists and bands everywhere. The cultivation of local talent and the 
ability to give them that first break will be sorely missed".

 Why is it we always seem to want to discard the old and/or the out of date 
AM radio CAN be restored to it's near original form just like a '55 Chevy or a 
Les Paul guitar. So, before that last gasp of air (time) for AM Radio comes, someone 
step forward-maybe you-pinch it's nose, then breathe some air into it's electronic lungs..
.to let those "hits keep on a comin'" again. 
Yes, the new technology is here, but it can't replace history. Technology has not 
changed the shape of a clarinet, a trumpet, a violin or most guitars; or the great music 
and sounds they produce.
Likewise, a radio station can't be changed by gigabytes or digital devices
High tech also can not replace the special sound of live radio stations-AM or FM-and 
the sounds they produce. 
Best of all, listening to radio is FREE! No data to buy, no long contracts to sign. 
In America, that's the best price of all...to be FREE. Hold off radio's requiem for now. 
Stop the Last Rites! It's time to make AM radio's Last Stand.  
That's my RadiOpinion...what's yours?    

 

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