Frequency Modulation [FM] sans Commercials ?

[1972coronet]

Ostensibly, Frequency Modulation [FM] was broadcast sans commercials at one time. 

Of course in my time, I wasn't able to reap that benefit , as I was born in 1970.

Here's a (modified-by-me only to emphasise the catalogue's text) dealer information document excerpt from the 1969 Dodge Dart , courtesy of Hamtramck Historical .

I would like to hear from anyone who can support or deny this boasting. 

Maybe it was a regional thing, the commercial free aspect ?

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

I don't generally recall FM being commercial-free from the time I started listening to stations out of NYC in the early 1960s, when I got my first little Toshiba transistor radio, though it seems there was less.

Public Broadcasting on FM was commercial-free though, often programming jazz and classical music.

Not the answer to your specific question, but this might shed some light on it:  https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=Rise_and_Fall_of_FM_Rock

[bbowser]

I recall a lot of FM stations were broadcasting from colleges, training for on-air and studio work.  Played entire sides of albums at a time, didn't need commercials.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, bbowser said:

I recall a lot of FM stations were broadcasting from colleges, training for on-air and studio work.  Played entire sides of albums at a time, didn't need commercials.

Yup, there's that... 2 right here I used to listen to a lot, many moons ago: WREK at Ga.Tech, and WCLK from Clark College.

Edited March 16, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Lunajammer]

I don't recall FM ever being commercial free intentionally, however...

Besides the above mentioned public radio stations or others supported by education systems or endowments, the first FM stations had no commercials briefly for couple reasons;

1. As new frequencies, all the listeners were still on the AM stations and sponsors were slow to move their money to FM until it was more proven and listenership was more abundant.

2. All the newly launched FM stations I recall played no commercials as an enticement to draw listeners to the new quality sound and formats, purely as an awareness campaign, but they were temporary.

3. Prior to the FCC abolishment of the fairness doctrine in 1987, there were strict limits to the number radio and TV stations one owner could keep, so FM stations were often an offshoot of existing AM stations so the AMs could briefly financially carry FMs while they got established.

4. It's possible the Chrysler radios could tune to a low wattage (with limited community range) station with taped programming that emanated from the dealership, but I've never heard of that from that era.

So this is pretty much a verbose non-answer to your question. I dunno what the ad is referring to.

Edited March 16, 2023 by Lunajammer

[1972coronet]

34 minutes ago, Lunajammer said:

So this is pretty much a verbose non-answer to your question. I dunno what the ad is referring to.

Thanks much for your well composed response. 

The excerpt is from factory literature for the 1969 Dart; here's the link to the original document : 

[1972coronet]

2 hours ago, bbowser said:

I recall a lot of FM stations were broadcasting from colleges, training for on-air and studio work.  Played entire sides of albums at a time, didn't need commercials.

I have a de facto bootleg of The Stooges Raw Power album (1973) which is titled Rough Power (1995). It's almost entirely composed of a WABX broadcast from late 1972 wherein rough edits of the pending Raw Power were brought into the WABX studio by Iggy Pop. Total free-form broadcasting -- a tradition carried on by the fledgling college radio stations ("Lightbulb" stations, et alia).

Likewise, I recall a time when I was quite young when stations broadcast in both Amplitude Modulation [AM] and Frequency Modulation [FM]. The only commercial-free station left that I can think of is KLON out of Long Beach (CSLB); a Jazz station which also plays Blues on weekends. 

[1972coronet]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I don't generally recall FM being commercial-free from the time I started listening to stations out of NYC in the early 1960s, when I got my first little Toshiba transistor radio, though it seems there was less.

Public Broadcasting on FM was commercial-free though, often programming jazz and classical music.

Thanks for your response and for the link. 

IIRC, there's a free-form station which broadcasts out of NYC, though I don't recall its call letters (no, 'Murray The K' isn't involved). However, I've only read about its existence, and had heard tales of it.

Out here in the Los Angeles area there was at least one 'Pirate Radio' station which turned "legitimate" by c.1972: KLOS (long gone). Older friends and older relatives used to talk about KLOS (and, later, KMET, also long gone) and how it was broadcast from off-shore; how they'd play entire albums, etc., etc.
Again, before my time (not by much, admittedly). 

[Russell C]

3 hours ago, bbowser said:

... lot of FM stations were broadcasting from colleges...  Played entire sides of albums at a time...

Oh, man, that brings back fond memories of the college station in Albuquerque. No top 20 megahits ever, but instead the full range of connoisseur music all day long drifting pretty much seamlessly from one style gradually over into another, classical to ragtime to WW2 big band to Miles Davis to country swing to fabulous blue grass. Bach to Earl Scruggs. Weekends were specialty programs like the "Thistle & Shamrock" (a national show done somewhere else in the country) and the local pure 1920s jazz records collection I listened to every Sunday night in the half hour drive from my parents' house back to the college dorm. The only commercials they had were the gag ones the DJs created along with their short filler bits. "You're listening to N.P.R. - National Paranoid Radio ... on KUNM, 90.1 FM."

Edited March 16, 2023 by Russell C
typo

[iamsuperdan]

Back in the early 70s, November 10, 1973 late night/early morning, to be exact, my dad was able to record an entire Pink Floyd concert onto reel to reel, direct from the radio. Entire show was commercial free. 

Maybe this was just a one-off ad-free event for Toronto radio?

 

Anyway, I know the date, because while my mum was at the hospital giving birth to me, dad was at home recording a Pink Floyd concert. ?

 

[Jon Haigwood]

Most likely started out as  commercial free but as it progressed they discovered that money could be made from advertisers. Much like cable TV was supposed to be commercial free. Now some shows have more commercial time than show time.

I do remember listening to a radio station and waiting to actually hear some music on my long drive to work and after a very lengthy time changing to a different station.

Maybe that is the inspiration for the development  of the 4 Track player. (yes I go back that far) 

Edited March 16, 2023 by Jon Haigwood

[sfhess]

14 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

Thanks for your response and for the link. 

IIRC, there's a free-form station which broadcasts out of NYC, though I don't recall its call letters (no, 'Murray The K' isn't involved). However, I've only read about its existence, and had heard tales of it.

Out here in the Los Angeles area there was at least one 'Pirate Radio' station which turned "legitimate" by c.1972: KLOS (long gone). Older friends and older relatives used to talk about KLOS (and, later, KMET, also long gone) and how it was broadcast from off-shore; how they'd play entire albums, etc., etc.
Again, before my time (not by much, admittedly). 

KLOS was preceded by KABC-FM, which was pretty much free form and played some really good music.

[Muncie]

I remember listening to a commercial free FM station in my younger days - good rock and roll, album cuts and full album previews late at night in the times of LP records - very cool! Not a college station, but they didn't play the same things every other station played. The alternative link. But, it was at a time when not very many cars had FM radios. There are still couple of commercial free FM stations getting by in the area that I can think of.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Inquiring minds want to know...if a radio station isn't supported by another institution, be it government and corporate donors (NPR/PBS), a commercial station, a university, or whatever, just exactly what is the business model?

Even if the DJs work for nothing, or the system is entirely automated, you've still got stuff like a building to house the equipment in, the lot it and the antenna are on, and energy to run it...things that have to be paid for.

Seriously...how does commercial-free FM cover operating expenses, other than soliciting donations, or fees, from listeners (SOP for online streaming and over-air "commercial-free" stations) ?

Edited March 16, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[SSNJim]

8 hours ago, iamsuperdan said:

Back in the early 70s, November 10, 1973 late night/early morning, to be exact, my dad was able to record an entire Pink Floyd concert onto reel to reel, direct from the radio. Entire show was commercial free. 

Maybe this was just a one-off ad-free event for Toronto radio?

 

Anyway, I know the date, because while my mum was at the hospital giving birth to me, dad was at home recording a Pink Floyd concert. ?

 

I remember that being a thing in Louisville, KY in the early to mid 70s. The rock station there would play a full album (or at least one side) in the wee hours of the morning - no commercials. I assume it was to avoid paying DJs. I would imagine there was a technician or someone to flip sides or put the needle back in the groove. This was also the era of TV stations signing off at 11pm or 12am. 

[1972coronet]

3 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Seriously...how does commercial-free FM cover operating expenses, other than soliciting donations, or fees, from listeners (SOP for online streaming and over-air "commercial-free" stations) ?

Precisely as you've proposed: member donations (KLON in Long Beach for an instance). Too bad that there aren't any Rock stations which sustain from donations, etc. They're all commercial, Top 40 tripe (e.g., Disney owns them via whatever slush organisation) with zero imagination; "Simulcast" bollocks. 

[Little Timmy]

 

I do remember the slogans  about "no static" wayyyyy back in 72.

 

 

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, Little Timmy said:

I do remember the slogans  about "no static" wayyyyy back in 72.

I had that film's soundtrack on 8 track in the early 90's.

[Reegs]

NY metro listener supported (that I'm aware off):

WBGO jazz     

WFMU free form     

WBAI progressive variety (whatever that is)     

WQXR classical music

 

[1972coronet]

3 hours ago, Reegs said:

WFMU free form

That's the one I was trying to remember earlier. Thanks.