Channel 8 161.67

[sandiegosand]

I hear this from time to time during the hours that they do their news. It is just the audio that you hear on the tv with occasional voiceover informing the anchors (choppers/studio/ground) when their "up". It's kind of nice to listen to when you're away from the tv and want to get something besides the news on the radio. Does anyone else hear this? And does anyone have any other news frequencies similar to this?

 

[nd5y]

You are hearing IFB which operates on broadcast auxiliary frequencies. To find other similar stations check the frequences listed here.

 

[Mike_G_D]

This has been around pretty much since Ceasar was assassinated - well, maybe not quite that far back;-).

Anyway, they are STL's - "Studio Transmitter Links". Very common in the past for radio broadcasters to use these frequencies for "live on-scene" remote broadcasts back to the studio for relay on the regular broadcast frequency. TV stations use them more for remote location away from the studio "IFB" which is "Interruptable FoldBack": Interruptible foldback - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

There are several VHF and 2MHz worth of UHF frequencies set aside for this type of operation. They can also be used for normal two-way use by the broadcast studios to coordinate with their remote mobile units.

-Mike

 

[SCPD]

I hear it too in San Diego. Thanks for the explanation and links to IFB. I did not know what it was, but I could deduce it was something related to the studio. I also hear CH 8 on 161.640 MHz.

 

[Anderegg]

IFB is an audio broadcast that the reporters and crews in the field listen to when doing live shots. This way the reporter can hear the anchors on the desk, and respond back to questions they are asked.

The radio versions have mostly been phased on and it is much more common for cell phones to serve this purpose.

 

[KB7MIB]

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (BREW; Opera Mini/6.0.3/27.2338; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 320X240 LG VN530)

There's been a few comments here in the forums that since Nextel is gone, some stations have gone back to the radios, instead of going to Sprint's Direct Connect or whatever superseded Nextel. So the VHF and UHF channels may have seen increased useage recently in some areas.