[geeks] XM or Sirius Radio

[Lionel Peterson]

> From: Phil Stracchino <alaric at caerllewys.net>
> Date: 2004/05/31 Mon AM 03:18:57 GMT
> To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
> Subject: Re: [geeks] XM or Sirius Radio
> 
> On Sun, May 30, 2004 at 11:05:45PM -0400, Andrew Weiss wrote:
> > So why is AM incapable of stereo transmission?  I've always wondered 
> > this.
> 
> The simple answer is, it isn't.  As a matter of fact, there was a time
> during the 90s when you could order your car from several Detroit brands
> with an AM Stereo radio in it.  AM stereo never really took off, though,
> and the advent of satellite radio has more or less killed it.

I think it was a cost issue, really - few to none of the AM stations were interested in buying new transmitters *on the belief* that folks would:

a) buy suitable AM Stereo radios
b) start litening to AM stations

Most AM stations found their niche, were making a small living, and the risk involved in the capital outlay was too great.

There might also have been an issue with keeping the same frequency (it may not have been possible)...