Does analogue radio still work?

Nearly 60 per cent of all radio listening is now via digital devices, but analogue stations are still used by millions of listeners on FM and AM radio services every day, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Is analogue radio being switched off?

Analogue had been due to begin turning off in 2015 but this was put on hold as a result of slower than expected take-up of digital radio. Yesterday’s announcement came after the Government had to decide what to do when a number of national analogue licences, including those for Classic FM and TalkSport, expire in 2022.

When did FM radio overtake AM?

Radios started to have an FM band included with the AM band in the late 1950s and 1960s. By the 1970s, FM audience size surpassed that of AM, and the gap has been growing ever since.

Why is AM radio so bad?

AM stands for Amplitude Modulation and has poorer sound quality compared with FM, but it is cheaper to transmit and can be sent over long distances — especially at night. The lower frequencies of the band we use for AM signals creates a wavelength that is extremely large.

What year did FM radio become popular?

The popularity of FM radio grew in the 1950s and 1960s, as the FCC opened up more channels to broadcasters and FM sets became cheaper and more readily available. Car companies introduced FM car radios in 1963.

Is FM radio compressed?

First, FM radio broadcasts are filtered at 50 Hz for the bottom end and 15K Hz at the top end of the frequency response, whereas most modern recordings encompass the entire 20-20K Hz that humans are able to hear. Radio broadcasts are also highly compressed, using an electronic “Compressor/Limiter” unit.

Does FM radio still work in UK?

Currently, all but one of the BBC’s analogue services, including Radios 1, 2, 3, and 4 and BBC Local Radio are provided on FM, although Radio 4 uses medium wave in some areas, long wave for national broadcasting; Local Radio broadcasts opt-outs on medium wave. The only analogue service not to use FM is Radio 5 Live.

When were FM radios released?

1933
Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to provide high fidelity sound over broadcast radio.