Littlejohn: AM Bandwidth Change Not IBOC-Driven

Although IBOC is going to require AMs reduce their audio bandwidth to 5 kHz in order to properly implement that technology, Littlejohn said the AM bandwidth reduction decision, above, was separate from the group’s digital conversion of its stations.
“I want to be clear about the distinction,” he said to RW Online. “If we decrease interference it will help out the AM band. Whether it’s analog or digital doesn’t matter. It will help all AM radio simply because there’s reduced interference.”
IBOC “just happened to point out that the benefit existed,” he states in his memo.