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From: rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: AM Stereo Methods (&Retractios)
Message-ID: <389@hound.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 26-Jan-84 13:01:13 EST
Article-I.D.: hound.389
Posted: Thu Jan 26 13:01:13 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Jan-84 01:18:48 EST
References: <165@ihu1g.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 23

I believe your information about the FCC is a little out of date.
Actually they ultimately decided to let "the marketplace" decide,
presumably in keeping with a recent president's ideas about
hairy-chested free enterprise. In any event, four or five systems have 
been given the nod to compete. One recently gave up voluntarily. From
time to time I see promises that someone is going to bring out a
receiver for brand x. E.G., Delco, I think announced it would use the
Motorola (?) system. Meanwhile there are some sets on the market that
will decode all or most of the four versions. Sony recently announced
a portable that received any of the four with but one switch for the
listener to throw.Someone is marketing a transmitter that will transmit
any of the competing systems with the right applique circuitry.
In stereo TV, the last I saw an industry committee was rushing to make a
recommendation to the FCC before the end of 1983. The hope was that the FCC 
might accept the recommendation of the committee rather than repeat the
AM stereo fiasco. The report had to be ready by the end of the year
because for some reason or other such a committee would become illegal
after that (antitrust foolishness). Thus, it is possible, but unlikely,
that by the end of "Big Brother year" we could have both AM and TV
Stereo. By the way, if you are near an AM transmitter there is no reason
 it shouldn't sound pretty good. Maybe not as good as FM stereo, but
definitely a plus for those who were listening anyway.
-Dick Grantges hound!rfg