Is AM radio still used in Australia?

However, there are very few, if any, high mountains in outback New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland or Western Australia. This is country, where AM still shines, at least, for its wide area coverage. In the United States, AM radio is also dying, and, pretty much for the same reasons as here.

Is AM radio dead?

Traditional AM/FM radio is still around, but with a dwindling audience. The graph below, from online statistic site Statista, shows the average daily media use in the US over the past four years. Radio usage, represented by the green trend line, has been steadily declining.

Does AM stereo still exist?

Current status. Globally, interest in and use of AM stereo has been declining steadily since the 1990s, as many music stations have continued to move to the FM band. As a result, the vast majority of AM stations broadcast news/talk or sports/sports talk formats.

Why did we stop AM radio?

The new band also had room for many more stations. The decline in AM audio was due more to regulation than to method of modulation. One aspect of radio not understood by most listeners is the concept of occupied bandwidth, or the amount of spectrum that a station uses to transmit its signal.

Will analogue radio be switched off in Australia?

Although the finalisation of analogue services is underway in countries such as Norway (2017), Switzerland (2020 – 2024) and the UK looking to switch off after the 50% listenership trigger, ACMA is not currently setting a timetable for analogue radio switch off in Australia.

How many AM radio stations are in Australia?

Broadcasting is regulated by Australian Communications and Media Authority – ACMA . Currently there are almost 300 commercial radio stations (with over 20 networks) and more than 400 community radio stations in Australia, together with ABC and SBS broadcasting on 3200 FM, 390 AM frequencies and 15 DAB multiplexes.

Why does AM radio not work at night?

Most AM radio stations are required by the FCC’s rules to reduce their power or cease operating at night in order to avoid interference to other AM stations. However, during nighttime hours the AM signals can travel over hundreds of miles by reflection from the ionosphere, a phenomenon called “skywave” propagation.

Why is AM radio reception so bad?

To understand why AM radio reception can be difficult, it’s useful to know that every single electronic device exists in opposition to AM radio – it’s extremely susceptible to interference, and we have more devices to interfere with it than ever, including power lines, mobile phones, computers, traffic lights, solar …

Are there any AM radio stations in Australia?

This is an incomplete list of AM broadcast (medium wave) radio transmitter stations in Australia, past and present.

When did they start broadcasting on FM in Australia?

In Australia experimental FM broadcasts were commenced in 1948. However after an Inquiry into FM in 1957, where little interest was shown, the Government authorised the use of the international VHF FM band for television in 1961. The Golden Years of Radio By the early 1940s the Australian radio broadcasting scene was established.

Why are AM radio stations losing their audience?

Subsequently, AM radio’s audiences have also greatly shrunk due to competition from FM ( frequency modulation) radio, Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), satellite radio, HD (digital) radio and Internet streaming. AM transmissions are much more susceptible than FM or digital signals are to interference, and often have lower audio fidelity.

What was the golden years of Australian radio?

The forties and fifties were the golden years of radio. The regulatory body, the Australian Broadcasting Control Board, created in 1948, had been saying that there was no room for new stations on the AM band and FM had been given to television, so effectively no new competition came onto the scene. Pressure for Change