What trade magazine letter writers have said about AM stereo

Abstract

This research analyzes letters to editors appearing in the trade magazines Broadcasting and Radio World. Focusing on the first 10 years of the AM stereo marketplace, a sample of 167 letters was gathered from March 1982 through November 1992. The study assesses what individuals in the broadcast industry have written about AM stereo since the FCC's unprecedented 1982 decision not to set an industry standard for AM stereo broadcast transmission. Because the marketplace method of technical standard‐setting was being implemented for the first time in FCC history, no yardstick existed by which to measure its effectiveness. Letters were analyzed for themes that were quantified for and placed into categories. This study seeks to increase our knowledge of trade magazine letters and contribute information previously unknown about the broadcasting marketplace.