Taking back the frequencies

February 20th, 2017 at 9:58:13 AM permalink
Pacomartin
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 1068
Posts: 12569


I am posting this thread under television because FM radio frequencies are in the same band as VHF television (channels #2-#13). Norway turned off it's FM radios on January 11. The argument was there was only 5 stations, and 80% of the radios in Norway received DAB (digital audio broadcast). It was expensive to broadcast in both FM and DAB, and they wanted to resell the frequencies. Some people, like this elderly women, were not happy. Switzerland has announced similar plans in 3 years.

Many engineers believe that television should abandon broadcast in the VHF frequencies (and in particular channels #2-#5) which are below FM frequencies. They are poortly suited to digital transmission.

The FCC chairman has requested that all cell phones turn on their FM radio antennas. Only 44% of the cell phones in the USA have them turned on while, compared to 80% in Mexico He feels that FM radio is a good backup that won't use batteries very fast and provide an emergency backup. So in a sense USA is officially taking the complete opposite approach as Norway.

Some hardliners want to terminate all radio and television broadcasts and replace them with internet based solutions. They feel the frequencies would be better served for other purposes, and it will provide a jumpstart to the economy.
February 20th, 2017 at 10:06:57 AM permalink
Nareed
Member since: Oct 24, 2012
Threads: 346
Posts: 12545
Quote: Pacomartin
Some hardliners want to terminate all radio and television broadcasts and replace them with internet based solutions. They feel the frequencies would be better served for other purposes, and it will provide a jumpstart to the economy.


Every time I hear "jumpstart the economy," I'm reminded of an episode of "Pinky and the Brain" set in Medieval England. Every new tax, and there are a lot of them, is justified as being "for education."
Donald Trump is a one-term LOSER