Thirteen of Japan’s 47 commercial operators turned off their transmitters to see what effect the temporary cessation of AM transmissions would have. It launched in 1925, ushering Japan into the era of broadcasting, but may not last long enough to celebrate its centenary next year. The Kyodo agency writes about this on June 7.
The AM band operates at a lower frequency and uses longer wavelength radio waves, meaning they travel farther but have difficulty penetrating solid objects such as buildings. Transmitting stations are also equipped with massive antennas and are installed in large open areas, usually along river banks or other coastal areas.
AM radio transmissions are subject to static interference, such as radio frequency interference and radio frequency interference, generated by both atmospheric electrical activity such as lightning and electronic equipment. Due to the size of the AM band infrastructure, they are more vulnerable to natural disasters such as tsunamis, floods and earthquakes.
AM broadcasting requires large-scale broadcasting devices, and the cost of upgrading them is several tens of times that of FM broadcasting.
In this regard, the operators turned to the Ministry of the Interior and Communications with a request to conduct a study on the possibility of suspending AM transmission for a certain period. According to the agency, the department is set to complete the trial closure in January next year, and then “each company will decide for itself what to do.”
However, broadcasters expect the government’s decision to shut down AM to be extended to all stations immediately afterwards, assuming that otherwise a lawsuit will lead to a virtual shutdown of AM broadcasts in Japan, the agency notes.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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