How is IBOC destroying AM DX?

[Philip J. Smith]

The situation is similar for the TIS at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.  The TIS is on 800 with 10 watts of power.  The 50,000-watt transmitter for Newsradio 780 WBBM is about 8 miles away.  Fortunately, my narrow-band Blaupunkt picks up the TIS very well, anywhere around the airport.  However, if I am driving our other car, I can barely get the TIS along the access highway into the airport (I-190).  As I get closer to the terminals, the TIS on 800 becomes completely buried under hash.

By the way, people really DO use these TIS stations.  It's very useful when I'm picking up my wife to know if traffic is being allowed/prohibited from recirculating through the terminals, if the cell-phone lot is open, if hourly parking is full, etc.  Newsradio 780 doesn't give that information, and I'm not about to start surfing the airport's web site on my wireless PDA while driving!

[Zach]

I've used the TIS stations here and there, from time to time, but I can see how they have been forgotten in some places.  There's one at the Memphis airport on 1610 that is very difficult to hear at the airport due to an in-town 50kW'er on 1600.  I imagine the TIS would disappear altogether if the other guys fire up HD.

If these TIS deals were more popular, it might generate more complaints and get some action going to move the TIS to a new channel...