Simulcasting

Origins

The first widespread use of simulcasting in the United States utilized AM and FM stations in the late 1940s. As the new FM service developed, network and AM broadcasters argued that the most efficient way to build its audiences was with popular AM program fare, both news and entertainment. Given that the new service had little or no money to invest in program personnel or content, the idea made some sense. Of course simulcasting also obviated any reason for consumers to buy FM receivers given their existing radios could provide all the available programming. Indeed, some critics argued simulcasting was really just a plot by the AM business to prevent FM from developing into a competitor. Further, the American Federation of Musicians struck many stations, arguing that musicians should be paid twice if their performances were going to be carried on both AM and FM stations.

The musician’s demand was finally resolved among the parties, but the larger AM-FM simulcasting issue took longer, put to rest in the 1960s with a series of “nonduplication” decisions by the Federal Communications Commission. These required colocated AM and FM stations to program at least half their time on the air separately. The policy argument held that simulcasting was a waste of spectrum space. Broadcasters argued their programs were none of the government’s business. But the Federal Communications Commission decisions were upheld despite numerous court appeals. By the early 1980s, the now independently programmed FM business surged ahead of AM listening nationwide—and by the early 21st century accounted for nearly 80% of all radio listening.

Another application of simulcasting came in the late 1950s with experimental stereo radio [Page 1491]broadcasts, usually of music. Before Federal Communications Commission approval of FM stereo technical standards in 1961, colocated AM and FM stations could share a broadcast with one providing the left sound channel and the other the right, though their quality was unequal. Likewise, a television and radio station (ideally FM, so both audio channels were of the same quality) could provide, say, right and left stereo channels of a music performance. An early British example came in 1974, when the BBC broadcast a recording of Van Morrison’s London Rainbow Concert simultaneously on both its BBC2 television channel and on Radio 2. American public television and radio stations were the most likely to offer such broadcasts, especially when airing a live concert.

Broadcast and Internet Simulcasting

WXYC, a student-operated station at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, began simulcasting its off-air (broadcast) signal on the Internet on November 7, 1994, using technology developed at Cornell University. It claims to have been the first radio station in the world to offer a concurrent Internet simulcast of an off-air signal. Many stations soon followed suit, and by the early 21st century, such simulcasting (also termed audio streaming) had become common, aided by the spread of broadband connections. Listeners could tune in to stations well beyond off-air listening range. Satellite radio services also simulcast their hundreds of channels of music and talk programming for subscribers over the air (to special receivers) and on the Internet.

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