James S. Washburn, Charles M. Rush, and Frank G. Stewart

Abstract: The Institute for Telecommunication Sciences has embarked upon a program to improve the techniques that are used to determine medium frequency broadcasting parameters. This work is motivated by the fact that increased transmitter power which is planned by a number of Administrations in the Western Hemisphere could seriously impact MF broadcast service areas in the United States by giving rise to unacceptable interference levels. In order to provide a technically accurate tool for use in assessing the performance of MF broadcast operations, efforts have been undertaken to develop a capability to determine the broadcast service area, taking into account both groundwave and skywave modes of propagation. In addition, a program of monitoring long distance skywave signals has been initiated as part of a joint NTIA/FCC endeavor. These long-distance signals will be used to form the basis for changes in existing MF skywave prediction programs.

Keywords: AM analysis model; MF broadcasting; MF interference; MF prediction methods; MF sky-wave signal observations

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