Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- One of our viewers wants to know why the emergency radio system on 1620 AM comes in so poorly. Should an emergency arise, he says the reception is so bad it’s unlikely anyone would understand what’s being reported. Can it be fixed, he asks?
Not easily, according to Newhouse professor Randy Wenner. Wenner consulted with the college’s engineering staff and he says the reception on the far ends of the AM radio band is poor for two reasons.
First, he says, the FCC has authorized a very small amount of signal strength to transmitters and antennae for highway advisory radio stations. So they’re weak signals to begin with. They start to fade out within a mile or two of the transmitter site. The FCC keeps signal strength low, partly to address concerns from commercial radio stations who view traveler information radio as competition.
Next, some of the transmitters may run on solar power. As you all know, Central New York doesn’t see nearly as much sun as we’d like during the winter months. So cloud cover can further reduce the strength of broadcast signals from already low-powered transmitters.
Last year, the FCC began to consider an update for the system, but engineers say this could cause more interference with and further protest from radio stations.
