When Old is Old Again

When Old is Old Again

Buford T. Justice:?Breaker, breaker for the Bandit.
Bandit:?Come on back, breaker.
Buford T. Justice:?Bandit I got a smokey report for you. Come on!
Bandit:?Well, talk to me good buddy.
Buford T. Justice:?You got trouble comin...
Bandit:?Well what's your handle son, and what's your twenty?
Buford T. Justice:?My handle's Smokey Bear and I'm tail-grabbin yo ass right now!

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Just when you thought CB radio was dead, the Federal Communication Commission passed a rule that might have every "Smokey and the Bandit" fan yearning for another sequel.?The FCC is allowing FM transmission on CB radio!

Though not in the forefront of the American conscience anymore, Citizens Band radio has been around since 1945. Twenty-three channels (later 40) were?carved out of the 11 meter shortwave band between broadcast AM radio and old-school VHF television. From the beginning, CB radios transmitted by amplitude modulation (AM), which was more economical and common than frequency-modulation (FM) in the 1940s.

At the height of its popularity in the 1970s and 80s, the CB craze?was everywhere: TV, movies, music, and magazines. Millions of radios were sold and everyone seemed to have one in their home or car (including our family). Even new cars like the?Pontiac Trans Am (the one the Bandit drove) could be ordered with an AM-FM-CB radio. Back then, this instant communication?with people in your community?was almost parallel to today's social networks, except way more civil. But after a while most folks burned out on it and left the airwaves to the truckers. Go to ten yard sales on any given Saturday and you'll find at least one dusty old CB radio for sale.

What killed CB radio? Crowded airways,?boredom, static and noisy transmissions, and eventually mobile phones and?the internet.?Truckers, farmers, hikers, trail riders, and some businesses continued to use CBs?because of the economical way to have short-range communications. Sure they have a squelch feature to block out background static, but they've always been limited in range from power restrictions and susceptible to noise from auto engines, power lines, and atmospheric interference.

In the mid 1990s?the FCC opened up the UHF spectrum to create the license-free Family Radio Service Band (FRS). Initially proposed by Radio Shack, FM-transmitted?FRS has a lot less noise than AM-based?CB radio. But like it's sister, FRS is limited in range. Now called HT (handy-talkie), it has been widely adapted by businesses and outdoor enthusiasts.

Who still uses CB radio in the U.S.? Mostly truckers for real-time alerts about road conditions from other truckers. Large family-owned farms and ranches may still use them, as well as some?businesses with simple communications needs.?Some newer transceivers include superior noise reduction plus an optional SSB (single side band) mode that makes everyone sound like aliens. Like the dark web, SSB even?has its own community and terminology. But curiosity seekers will probably quickly grow disillusioned while trying to find anything interesting to listen to. Some may graduate to ham radio, never admitting that they took a step up from the "Chicken Band."

So why would the FCC suddenly allow CB radios to operate in FM mode if it's unpopular? FM does have increased fidelity and reception over AM, but that's not the driving factor.?Is it because the FCC is trying to lure people away from the increasingly crowded FRS band? That's probably not a factor. Is it because the public has been loudly crying for FM on the CB Band? No, most pleas have been for more power and a wider frequency band. It's most likely because one manufacturer just simply?asked them to.

Cobra, a long-lived but dying manufacturer of CB radios, filed a petition with the FCC in 2017 to add FM to CB's 40-channels. President, another manufacturer of?CBs, went on record in support of it. You see, Cobra and President already manufacture CB radios that transmit on the CB band with FM. Those have been sold in the United Kingdom since 1981 when the Brits created their?own Citizen's Band spectrum. Its channels reside?very near ours,?but?CB operators in the UK have had much clearer transmissions because they?operate?in the FM mode. Cobra, President, and other manufacturers who already supply the UK?and European market will only need to slightly modify its FM circuitry to sell these as?new models in the U.S.

This is where the controversy in the amateur radio community begins. The FCC apparently is allowing AM and FM users to use the?same?channels simultaneously. That means that AM users will only hear garbage when an FM user transmits, and vice-versa. This risks clogging the channels with unintelligible radio waves and effectively squelching millions of existing CB radios. In order to "breaker-breaker" on the channels the've?been freely using since Truman was president, CB users will have to – you guessed it – buy a new radio. Radio buffs are really PO'd that the FCC ignored the power and frequency upgrades that the larger community has wanted for decades, only to have one company's petition come to fruition in just a handful of years.

What does the future hold for CB radio? I see a big race to the line between AM and FM, like a thrilling?movie chase scene with a big rig built for speed and a sports car built for agility.?There's only one cop that can police this situation and it's not the FCC. It's Sheriff Buford T. Justice.


Dynamix Productions logo

Dynamix Productions, Inc. is an audio production facility in the heart of thoroughbred horse country, Lexington, Kentucky. Some of the many audio services we provide are: sound-for-picture, corporate communications, advertising, narrations, audiobooks, podcasts, live broadcast, ISDN, location and remote recording, restoration, and tape/LP to digital transfers.?

Since our opening 18 years ago in 2003, we have won or been a part of nearly 100 awards; including more than 75 ADDY’s (American Advertising Federation), 10 Telly's, 2 Silver Microphones, 1 PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), 1 Eclipse Award, and 1 Emmy nomination.

Why do professionals from desktop producers to Fortune 50 companies choose Dynamix for the highest level of production??We Listen.

Notable Recent Productions

  • Post-production audio for "Secret Celebrity Renovation," a weekly television show airing Fridays on?CBS Television. (Wrigley Media Group, Lexington, KY).?Watch episodes here.
  • Animation character recording by actor Steve Zahn for "Night at the Museum:?Kahmunrah Rises Again" (Twentieth Century Animation).
  • "AgFuture" podcasts for?Alltech?(Alltech, Nicholasville, KY)
  • Production for the audiobook "This Is Ear Hustle" by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, narrated by Michael Patrick Smith (Penguin Random House).
  • UK Healthcare-radio/TV campaigns for Kentucky Children's Hospital (Team Cornett, Lexington, KY)
  • "Best Places to Work" radio for?Forcht Bank?(Forcht Bank, Lexington, KY)
  • Keeneland?Fall Meet advertising campaign?(Team Cornett, Lexington, KY)
  • Soundtrack for?Kentucky Medical Association?(RunSwitch PR, Louisville, KY)
  • "Block Talk" podcast for?Ridley Block?(Alltech, Nicholasville, KY)
  • UK Healthcare-radio/TV campaigns with UK Basketball Coach John Calipari (Team Cornett, Lexington, KY)

No alt text provided for this image

Listen to

EASTERN STANDARD

on WEKU-FM

Dynamix Productions, and WEKU-FM, Eastern Kentucky University’s public radio station in Richmond, KY, partnered in 2018 to move primary production of the popular long-running radio program EASTERN STANDARD to the studios of Dynamix. The first program produced at Dynamix aired on July 19, 2018. By bringing the production to Lexington, producers have easier access to Central Kentucky business, healthcare, and education leaders, as well as local artists, entertainers, and other newsmakers. The move underlines WEKU’s commitment to providing the area’s most concise and in-depth coverage of news, issues, and ideas that directly affect Central Kentuckians.?

Hosted by network news veteran Tom Martin, EASTERN STANDARD is a public affairs program that covers a broad range of topics of interest to Kentuckians. Resources for topics include WEKU’s reporting partner, the Ohio Valley ReSource, a partnership with seven public media outlets across three states; the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting; and National Public Radio. EASTERN STANDARD can be heard Thursdays at 11:00 AM?/ 8:00 PM and Sundays at 6:00 PM on 88.9 WEKU-FM, and online at?www.esweku.org.

Did you miss the live show??Listen online.


Live and Online

Television programs produced at Dynamix Productions

No alt text provided for this image

THE WHITE LOTUS on HBO

A social satire set at an exclusive Hawaiian resort, the series follows the vacations of various hotel guests over the span of a week as they relax and rejuvenate in paradise. But with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel’s cheerful employees, and the idyllic locale itself.

No alt text provided for this image

SECRET CELEBRITY RENOVATION?on CBS

A new one-hour series that gives celebrities in sports, music and entertainment the chance to gift a surprise home renovation to a meaningful person who helped guide them to success. Hosted by Nischelle Turner (ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT), SECRET CELEBRITY RENOVATION provides stars with a hands-on opportunity to show their gratitude to someone who has had a significant impact on their life’s journey by helping to realize the renovation of their dreams. Those participating in making these heartfelt gifts include Emmy? and GRAMMY? Award-winning singer and choreographer Paula Abdul; award-winning singer-songwriter Lauren Alaina; Emmy?-winning actor and comedian Wayne Brady (LET’S MAKE A DEAL); NFL MVP and CBS sports analyst Boomer Esiason; GRAMMY?-winning artist Eve; Emmy?-nominated actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson; SURVIVOR winner “Boston” Rob Mariano; NBA All-Star Chris Paul; GRAMMY?-winning singer, songwriter and actor Anthony Ramos; and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith. The series also features the design team of home improvement contractor and television personality Jason Cameron (“Man Cave,” “While You Were Out”) and interior designer Sabrina Soto (“Design Star,” “Trading Spaces”).

No alt text provided for this image

ESCAPE TO THE CHATEAU on HGTV

Lieutenant colonel Dick Strawbridge and his partner Angel Adoree trade their English apartment for a dilapidated, 19th-century French chateau. The pair work to restore, renovate and redecorate the estate into a fairytale castle for their upcoming wedding.

No alt text provided for this image

YOU LIVE IN WHAT? INTERNATIONAL on HGTV

Architect George Clarke is on a mission to find inspiration for his outrageous, space-age concept house. His journey takes him around the world to meet the visionary people who build and live in some of the most unusual homes ever seen.





Mike Savage

Director & General Manager at 88.9 WEKU

3 年

Nice post Neil. Thanks! I remember traveling with my dad as a kid in the 1970s and he had a CB radio in his car to find out where the speed traps were located.

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Neil Kesterson的更多文章

  • The Gilligan's Island Radio

    The Gilligan's Island Radio

    Has there ever been a more famous radio in TV Land than the white radio on Gilligan's Island? I mean there were a few…

  • AnaDigiFlux: Stuck Between Two Worlds

    AnaDigiFlux: Stuck Between Two Worlds

    Have you ever been stuck trying to make a decision between the latest-and-greatest and the tried-and-true? Like whether…

    1 条评论
  • Jar Fly Blues, Revisited

    Jar Fly Blues, Revisited

    Most of the eastern part of the US is or will be soon suffering from the latest cyclical emergence of cicadas, so we're…

  • Announcing the release of my new book "Push the Right Buttons"

    Announcing the release of my new book "Push the Right Buttons"

    Announcing the release of my new book "Push the Right Buttons: A Practical Guide to Becoming and Succeeding as an Audio…

    3 条评论
  • A Current View of the Audio Industry

    A Current View of the Audio Industry

    It's always a good idea to step back once in a while and take stock of the industry you work in. For the audio…

  • Strange New Worlds

    Strange New Worlds

    I'm a self-professed nerd and "Trekkie" so it's hard to contain my excitement with the current resurgence of Star Trek…

  • Audio Archeology

    Audio Archeology

    In 1745 among the watery canals of Venice, Italy, a small chapel was razed to make room for a dormitory wing of the…

  • Noise Reduction

    Noise Reduction

    In my world, that of an audio engineer, noise reduction refers to eliminating background clutter, hiss, static, or…

    1 条评论
  • The Father of Hi-Fi

    The Father of Hi-Fi

    Arthur Haddy may not a household name, but his achievements are. Haddy is considered by many to be the "father of hi-fi.

  • Things That Go Bump In the Night

    Things That Go Bump In the Night

    Halloween is just around the corner. I know this because the decorations started showing up on people's houses in…

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了