WFNX, stereo vs. mono.

["PETER GEORGE, N1GGP" <PGEORGE@WELLESLEY.EDU>]

     In this day of CD's and digital audio..etc., people will not stand
for mono FM when the music is almost invariably in stereo.  I can see
a station switching to mono during long-duration sports or news programming
but the music that WFNX plays would sound flat if broadcast in mono.  Case
in point, look at WMLN (91.5) in Milton.  They broadcast in mono.  I would
enjoy some of the programming on 'MLN if only it would in stereo.  They
sound extremely "flat" in comparision to other college stations of the
same power and coverage area.  WGAO (88.3) has only around 150 watts with
a good location.  They sound super.  If they were in mono, it would be
a turn-off.  Also, most radios have a blend curcuit when the receiver
is located in the outer fringes of the coverage area.  The radio would
still see a stereo pilot but would naturally blend the two stereo channels
into one mono signal.  Personally, I don't mind a radio WITHOUT a blend
circuit as some of the radios in the market blend too soon when moving
away from the transmitter.
     MONO simply sucks.  As an engineer for several stations (all stereo)
I know the value that a pilot light can make with audience.  'FNX would
lose a portion of their listeners who want to hear STEREO.  If I were
'FNX, I would leave well enough alone and work on the Optimod a little 
more.

IMHO,
- -Pete-

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Peter Q. George, N1GGP                  *  "Scanning the bands since 1967 !" 
P.O. Box 1183                           *                  +
Randolph, Massachusetts 02368-1183      *                  |
USA                                     *      73         +|+    de N1GGP
PGEORGE@wellesley.edu                   *                +\|/+
XERB@bigfoot.com                        *               + \|/ +
W221AG@hotmail.com (my FM translator)   *               + \|/ +
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