Exploring Billboard for Quadraphonic Information

[Old Quad Guy]

Thank to @jdmack for the link into the Billboard archives.

When one does a search for Quadraphonic, and limit the scope to 60s, 70s and 80s, you get a deep trove of information. You can also search for more specific items.

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...=5&zoom_cat[]=6&zoom_cat[]=7&zoom_per_page=50
EDIT: Here’s a link to all the BB magazines by Year and Date:

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard-Magazine.htm

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Here’s an article from December 13, 1969, Page 35: About one of the first Quad FM Broadcasts:

December 13, 1969, Page 35 link PDF:

https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...-13-I-OCR-Page-0033.pdf#search="quadraphonic"

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Here’s part of an article from 1980 (8-2-1980) that shows the FCC was still considering which Quad Radio broadcast system to use:

Link to PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...Billboard-Page-0004.pdf#search="quadraphonic"

 

[kfbkfb]

IIRC, the Dorren/QSI discrete quad FM broadcasting system was selected by the FCC in either 1983 or 1986.


Kirk Bayne

 

[Old Quad Guy]

It’s too bad that it took so long. Had they went with that system to begin with (or any one of them) in the 1970s when we were installing 4 speakers FM/Cassette or Q8 decks in our cars, it could have kept Quad alive. At least in vehicles with FM broadcasting. Because, as I remember it, by the 1980s stereo front and back speakers were a standard thing in all new cars.

At any time, all they had to do was add the Quad FM broadcast circuit to everyone’s car radio.

 

[kfbkfb]

Louis Dorren said they worked hard to get the NQRC testing and report done by late 1975 so the FCC could quickly approve the system that won, for some reason, the FCC waited.

(maybe the FM stereo stations should have used the Electro-Voice Stereo-4 matrix system while waiting - it's simple to make encoders and decoders)


Kirk Bayne

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Quadradisc Ad from 8-25-1973:

Link to PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...Billboard-Page-0013.pdf#search="quadraphonic"

 

[gvl_guy]

Here’s part of an article from 1980 (8-2-1980) that shows the FCC was still considering which Quad Radio broadcast system to use:

View attachment 93292

Link to PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...Billboard-Page-0004.pdf#search="quadraphonic"

I'd be very curious what "semi-discrete" would be.

 

[Soundfield]

I’m guessing that it was largely lack of interest, if not open hostility from broadcasters in the US that killed off discrete quad FM before it even began. Apart from the huge capital cost, for a given transmitter power the usable coverage area for stereo listeners (who would surely have remained the vast majority even under the most wildly optimistic of outcomes) would have been reduced. I think the commercial based broadcasting environment in the US would have been fairly reluctant to entertain any such double squeeze on revenue (how would they recover it - charge more for ads during quad sessions?).

 

[kfbkfb]

Strangely, (IIRC), it was RCA that proposed the semi-discrete FM quad system, the Leonard Feldman 1973 book about 4 channel sound explains this system (so far, I haven't found this book online).

edit:
here's a scan of the page about the RCA semi-discrete quad FM system:

If a QS variomatrix type separation enhancement system would have been applied to this semi-discrete system, it probably could have easily gotten to the 12dB (Involve Audio finding) channel separation value said to be audibly close to infinite channel separation.


Kirk Bayne

 

[kfbkfb]

One other issue - some type of analog NR (more like a dbx wideband system than Dolby B) could have been used on the newly added subcarriers for quad FM.

Since only quad FM radios would demodulate the new subcarriers (and could apply the NR), existing FM mono and stereo radios would be unaffected.


Kirk Bayne

 

[Doug G.]

Quadradisc Ad from 8-25-1973:

View attachment 93297

Link to PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...Billboard-Page-0013.pdf#search="quadraphonic"

Boy, I remember THAT ad because it was so goofy!

Doug

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Article from November 22, 1969, page 28, mentions the upcoming show at “The Family Dog” discotheque in San Francisco (also mentioned in the above article from December 13, 1969, after the show took place).
4 speakers were setup to demo Quadraphonic for a live event from two FM stations. KSAN broadcast the Right front and back channels. And KPFA broadcast the Left front and back channels.
November 16, 1969 fell on a Sunday, not Monday, if that’s how it happened.

From November 22, 1969:

2 Stations in Quadraphonic
Music Display

SAN FRANCISCO-Metro-media station KSAN-FM and Pacific Broadcasting's KPFA-FM in Berkeley will present a three to four-hour special Monday (16) to demonstrate the new quadraphonic home music systems, announced Willis Duff, general manager of KSAN-FM.
This will be the first full-scale demonstration of 4-track sound on the West Coast, Duff said. KSAN-FM will carry the two right channels and KPFA will handle the two left chan-nels. There will also be a special hookup to broadcast the show at the Family Dog.
Don Bukla, who invented the
"QF" concept, is helping produce the show. The special will feature demonstration effects devised by Bukla, a wide variety of pop music and music of several local groups, as well as an electronic composition by Morton Subetnik. Boston and New York stations have also experimented with 4-channel broadcasting in the past month.

Link to November 22, 1969, page 28 PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...11-22-OCR-Page-0028.pdf#search="quadraphonic"

 

[Old Quad Guy]

From December 7, 1974,
The J. Geils Band and Foghat:

On Dec. 8. the King Biscuit Flower
Hour will present a taped live radio show starring The J. Geils Band and featuring Foghat.
The show hosted by Bill Minkin is in Quadraphonic sound. So you can hear it the way you'd be seeing it.
In the future, shows will be on the second Sunday and the last Sunday of every month. Check the listing below for times and stations.

Link to December 7, 1974 PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...Page-0027.pdf#search="live quadraphonic show"

 

[Old Quad Guy]

From February 7, 1976:

On Sunday, February 8th, The King Biscuit Flower Hour presents Stephen Stills, recorded live in Portland, Oregon and the Patti Smith Group recorded live at The Cellar Door in Washington, D.C.
The show comes to you in quadraphonic and stereophonic sound. So you won't miss one bass or treble note of this sound spectacular. Check your local station for exact time and date in your area.

On Sunday, February 15th, the British Biscuit presents Lynyrd Skynyrd, recorded live in London during their second triumphant tour of England.
Don't miss Lynyrd Skynyrd, from England in quadraphonic and stereophonic sound. And don't miss their latest MCA release "Gimme Back My Bullets." Check your local station for exact time and date in your area.

Link to PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...Page-0016.pdf#search="live quadraphonic show"

 

[fizzywiggs41]

From December 7, 1974,
The J. Geils Band and Foghat:

On Dec. 8. the King Biscuit Flower
Hour will present a taped live radio show starring The J. Geils Band and featuring Foghat.
The show hosted by Bill Minkin is in Quadraphonic sound. So you can hear it the way you'd be seeing it.
In the future, shows will be on the second Sunday and the last Sunday of every month. Check the listing below for times and stations.
View attachment 93326

Link to December 7, 1974 PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...Page-0027.pdf#search="live quadraphonic show"

I notice KBFH were selling a tote bag.....I used to have a nice quad plastic bag, tote like, from Sansui which could hold about 10+ lps .

 

[kap'n krunch]

From December 7, 1974,
The J. Geils Band and Foghat:

On Dec. 8. the King Biscuit Flower
Hour will present a taped live radio show starring The J. Geils Band and featuring Foghat.
The show hosted by Bill Minkin is in Quadraphonic sound. So you can hear it the way you'd be seeing it.
In the future, shows will be on the second Sunday and the last Sunday of every month. Check the listing below for times and stations.
View attachment 93326

Link to December 7, 1974 PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...Page-0027.pdf#search="live quadraphonic show"

duuude, even in San Juan!
I do not remember what WCAD FM was but it's the same frequency that "Alfa Rock 105" was in a few years later so I am guessing it's the same!

 

[kfbkfb]

I would sometimes listen to the King Biscuit Flower Hour out of the Quad (!) cities on KIIK-FM (on a mono clock radio - I'm not a big radio listener at home, really only in the car).


Kirk Bayne

 

[DuncanS]

I notice KBFH were selling a tote bag.....I used to have a nice quad plastic bag, tote like, from Sansui which could hold about 10+ lps .

I read that as toke bag and thought that radio station was being a bit risque back then!

 

[Old Quad Guy]

From September 7, 1974:

On Sept 8, the King Biscuit Flower Hour will present a taped live radio show featuring Bachman- Turner Overdrive and Les Variations.
The show hosted by Bill Minkin (on FM only) is in Quadraphonic sound. So you can hear it the way you'd be seeing it.

Link to PDF:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/I...Page-0025.pdf#search="live quadraphonic show"