[78-L] Radio blues

[DAVID BURNHAM]

WQXR went up the dial to 1560FM,  a 3 candlepower station which does not 
reach my location a mere 25 miles from NYC ...

Al Simmons

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I'm rarely in NYC but surely you mean 1560AM.

740 AM did reach a huge area - I was once heading along the south shore of Lake 
Superior from Sault Ste. Marie and I was able to listen to CBC 740, (this was in 
the mid 60s).  I was surprised last year when, while driving between Alabama and 
Mississippi I was able to listen to CFRB.  On the other hand, quite often in 
much closer Parry Sound at night, WINZ in New York City, (which has the same 
frequency as CFRB), obliterates the signal from CFRB.

CBC obviously opted to convert Radio 1 in the Toronto area, (and other areas), 
from AM to FM because of the improved audio quality.  When they first did it, 
they were broadcasting in Stereo since a number of Radio 2 music shows, (Mostly 
Music, Clyde Gilmour, Rick Philips etc.), were repeated on Radio 1.  However one 
of the mis-guided VPs determined that stereo broadcasts don't have the same 
coverage as mono broadcasts so the Stereo was dropped.  I tried to have him 
re-think that reasoning since while I was travelling home from Kitchener one 
night, I had no problem picking up Radio 2 in Stereo but couldn't get Radio 1 in 
mono at all.  I think what happens is that when the signal gets weak, the stereo 
sub-carrier is lost and the sound reverts to mono.  

But someone, I think it was Mr. Barr, mentioned that FM signals have a coverage 
of 100 miles, (160 kms);  I think that's rather generous.  FM signals travel 
straight, like line of sight, so once you've gone about 50 miles, the curvature 
of the earth masks the signal, (of course cable companies can build large towers 
in high altitude locations to nab some of the space-bound signal).  In southern 
Ontario, if you're driving up the 400, Toronto FM stations abruptly get garbled 
shortly after you pass Barrie.

db