What's different about newstalk transmissions?

dellWlan

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this or can explain whats going on?

On my car radio when listening to newstalk, to change station I've to hit the other stations button twice. Almost an are you sure you want to change station thing. Only happens when changing from newstalk and doesn't matter what station I want to change to or whether it's via buttons on radio or radio stalk off steering wheel cycling through stations. I've also moved stations around presets but always follows newstalk.

squonk

dellWlan wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this or can explain whats going on?

On my car radio when listening to newstalk, to change station I've to hit the other stations button twice. Almost an are you sure you want to change station thing. Only happens when changing from newstalk and doesn't matter what station I want to change to or whether it's via buttons on radio or radio stalk off steering wheel cycling through stations. I've also moved stations around presets but always follows newstalk.

Denis O'Brien is watching you! :P

Trick of the Tail

They do broadcast in mono - apart from that there's nothing different from any other FM network.

A.

dellWlan

I'll chalk it down as just one of those things so. Thanks though. Didn't realise they broadcast in mono although makes sense for talk radio.

Trick of the Tail

I disagree with it. Talk radio in stereo with some careful panning of the mics sounds great!

There is very little benefit in doing it; NT did it because they believed it increased the tx range, but they were misinformed. In practice it doesn't really, since car radios blend progressively to mono as the signal gets weaker.

A.

Fuzzy Clam

alinton wrote: »

Talk radio in stereo with some careful panning of the mics sounds great!


A.

And when was the last time you heard panning on talk radio?

I agree with you, but from what I've heard, it just doesn't happen anymore. RTE1 used to do it in the 80's, as did Nova on occasion, but I haven't heard it in years. Or maybe I'm not listening to the right stations.

Irish Wolf

alinton wrote: »

I disagree with it. Talk radio in stereo with some careful panning of the mics sounds great!

There is very little benefit in doing it; NT did it because they believed it increased the tx range, but they were misinformed. In practice it doesn't really, since car radios blend progressively to mono as the signal gets weaker.

A.

:eek:

Much and all as I enjoy the station, the thought of listening to some NT presenters in stereo sends shivers down and up and back down my spine.

Oh lord, Marc Coleman in stereo - shudder...

Anyway, isn't it cheaper to broadcast in mono - I'd imagine that's the driving factor behind the decision?

Fuzzy Clam

Irish Wolf wrote: »

:eek:

Much and all as I enjoy the station, the thought of listening to some NT presenters in stereo sends shivers down and up and back down my spine.

Oh lord, Marc Coleman in stereo - shudder...

Anyway, isn't it cheaper to broadcast in mono - I'd imagine that's the driving factor behind the decision?

The main presenter would usually be centered. Guests panned left or right, about 3/4s.
Cost would not be a factor.
Works well with 2 or more guests.

Irish Wolf

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

Cost would not be a factor.

Good to know. I thought I heard Tom Dunne mention a while back that it was cheaper/more efficent to broadcast in mono - probably in one of my dream states during his show

Antenna

dellWlan wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this or can explain whats going on?

On my car radio when listening to newstalk, to change station I've to hit the other stations button twice. Almost an are you sure you want to change station thing. Only happens when changing from newstalk and doesn't matter what station I want to change to or whether it's via buttons on radio or radio stalk off steering wheel cycling through stations. I've also moved stations around presets but always follows newstalk.

Maybe its something to do with a PTY (Programme TYpe) setting on the RDS of your radio.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System
Maybe you have a setting which might be giving your radio priority to Newstalk's format!?

PTY (programme type)
This coding of up to 31 pre-defined programme types (e.g., in Europe: PTY1 News, PTY6 Drama, PTY11 Rock music) allows users to find similar programming by genre. PTY31 seems to be reserved for emergency announcements in the event of natural disasters or other major calamities.

Antenna

alinton wrote: »

There is very little benefit in doing it; NT did it because they believed it increased the tx range, but they were misinformed.

Is it not more to allow greater reuse of frequencies?
They are not allocated a similar (2.2MHz) block nationwide as the 5 other national stations here (and UK FM national stations) have.
Nearly all their transmitters outside Dublin are on one of just 5 frequencies 107.0/.2/.4/.6/.8, some transmitters reuse frequencies at fairly close distances.

Losty Dublin

Antenna wrote: »

Is it not more to allow greater reuse of frequencies?
They are not allocated a similar (2.2MHz) block nationwide as the 5 other national stations here (and UK FM national stations) have.
Nearly all their transmitters outside Dublin are on one of just 5 frequencies 107.0/.2/.4/.6/.8, some transmitters reuse frequencies at fairly close distances.

This would be the the case; mono signals require somewhat less width than a stereo broadcast so it can allow a little more space on the band. Also, as you point out, in the case of Newstalk, it's ad hoc frequency allocation means it hasn't as regular a pattern as a national RF as RTE; mono signals help to lessen interference issues as there is less scope for bleeding beyond your correct frequency allocation.

There are also implications for audio settings on a mono station that will be rather different to a music station that may allow it to set gain levels a little higher but it wouldn't cost Newstalk much cheaper to be in mono save for stereo encoding and the marginal bit of extra power stereo would take.

dellWlan

alinton wrote: »

I disagree with it. Talk radio in stereo with some careful panning of the mics sounds great!

There is very little benefit in doing it; NT did it because they believed it increased the tx range, but they were misinformed. In practice it doesn't really, since car radios blend progressively to mono as the signal gets weaker.

A.

I suppose stereo would always be preferable to mono. But I've never listened to the radio let alone talk radio on a decent hi fi where I could sit in the stereo sweet spot. We're off to a bad start listening to a car radio to begin with.

dellWlan

Antenna wrote: »

Maybe its something to do with a PTY (Programme TYpe) setting on the RDS of your radio.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System
Maybe you have a setting which might be giving your radio priority to Newstalk's format!?

That's probably the most likely explanation I do have, by default, the traffic news etc.... Things turned on. Not sure of the name but the ones that'll interrupt your cd for traffic updates and that. Although Limerick fm is the only broadcast to ever interrupt my cd listening for traffic news.

Oh and the talk in news talk flashes on the display. Not sure if that's relevant though.

Gr1f

Can i pipe in here?
I too am flummoxed that NT seem to transmit in mono. I agree with 'talk' on mono, that's fine.... However, they do play music on NT frequently!

What's even more baffling is when Tom Dunne talks about the sound merits of vinyl or asked listeners to compare the difference of Vinyl, mp3, cd... (as he did this morning).

I even sent him a mail about it....

dellWlan

Gr1f wrote: »

Can i pipe in here?
I too am flummoxed that NT seem to transmit in mono. I agree with 'talk' on mono, that's fine.... However, they do play music on NT frequently!

What's even more baffling is when Tom Dunne talks about the sound merits of vinyl or asked listeners to compare the difference of Vinyl, mp3, cd... (as he did this morning).

I even sent him a mail about it....

Just curious as to what feedback he got from his listeners. Vinyl obviously superior, Cd very good and mp3 awful but people have stopped caring about quality.

As for NT it's all about money presumably but have you ever sat down to properly listen to it in a hi-fi set up with the speakers properly positioned?