Experience College radio: program director and general manager, WCMO, Marietta; WMRT, Marietta (OH); Announcer, WPAR; WIBZ, Parkersburg, WV; Announcer, newscaster, WMOA, Marietta and announcer, copywriter, newscaster at WVOS, Liberty, NY. Announcer, newscaster, WERA, Plainfield, NJ
Education/Credentials BA degree in Mass Media/Management (Radio?TV & Business) at Marietta College;
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Expert: Andy Blatt Date: 2/7/2008 Subject: portable broadcast radio receivers
Question Regarding the switch off of analog TV broadcasts in Feb. 2009: Will future portable radio receivers include TV channel audio? Right now there are radio sets that in addition to FM, AM and WB also pick up the audio portion of CBS, ABC, NBC, PBS etc television broadcasts.
If those frequencies no longer carry TV audio after Feb 2009, will radio manufacturers build new sets to capture the new tv audio broadcasts or will the old FM audio signal continue after the switch over?
Thanks,
jaxon
Answer Back in the 1950's and 1960's when the FCC standardized which manufacturer was the one providing the single system for color TV reception, I think the people who owned another company's sets were simply forced to buy one of the sets from the FCC-chosen company.
The FCC let the market decide what system would prevail. Am stereo was the same way and the strongest survived.
I suspect that manuacturers will allow current radios and TV sets to receive the new digital signal in analog bu they will probably use a lot of guilt to imply that you are missing a lot if you do not buy new sets.
HD radio might be something that will grow in popularity and you need a new radio to receive it. You can still receive conventional fm programming but to get the new HD radio programming, you must have a new radio.
In NYC, the pre-eminent PBS station and probably the flagship for PBS is
WNET. Converting to digital is so expensive that WNYE-TV, run by he board of education and WLIW-TV in Long Island have both been operated by WNET because of the prohibitive cost of converting to digital. Remember, this edict to upgrade has been on the books for (seems like) 10-20 years and involves all new equipment and transmitters Or upgrades to newer equipment but a lot of labor.
When broadcasters converted to color, black and white sets could still pick up color programs, just not in color. When AM stereo was the rage, regular radios could still receive radio programs, just not in stereo. I think the same will apply. It should, unless they've decided to operate differently this time.
