[geeks] XM or Sirius Radio

[Lionel Peterson]

> From: "Patrick Giagnocavo +1.717.201.3366" <patrick at zill.net>
> Date: 2004/05/31 Mon AM 04:42:04 GMT
> To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
> Subject: Re: [geeks] XM or Sirius Radio

> Seems to me that there was AM Stereo at one point.
> 
> Anyways, a number of factors are credited with keeping AM alive,
> depending on who you talk to:
> 
> 1.  Rush Limbaugh

He's on FM too, as well as Sattelite and Armed Forces Radio, IIRC.
 
> 2. or talk radio in general (sound quality doesn't matter so much when
> you are sending voice not music)

Talk radio is a big part of keeping AM "active"
 
> 3. higher costs for FM advertising made AM look more attractive by
> contrast

Conversely, AM has greater coverage area, leading to fewer overal stations in a given area (a 50KW AM station with a good antenna, the legal limit, IIRC, can cover a tremendous area - WABC in NYC covers NY, CT, NJ, 1/2 PA, DE, and I'm sure several NE area states as well).

> 4.  AM stations are a limited/finite number, thus their value as a
> media property went up

See above. FM is limited too, but since the "footprint" of an FM station is smaller, there are more of them in the US.
 
> Personally I would love to have a zillion different low power radio
> stations, sort of like a bunch of "audio blogs" while you are driving
> around.  Not sure if the FCC will do it though.  Maybe we will have to
> be content with lots of Wifi.

This has been a hot-potato issue for years, LPFM (Low Power FM) is making it's way through the FCC, but it is a long, slow process, and likely will never come about... Also, broadcast licenses are awarded to stations that operate in the public interest - hearing wandering rants on an audio BLOG may not actually be in the public interest... And don't forget our ASCAP buddies, composers are due royalties for songs played, how to capture that?