Airbus 318/319/320/321 Undifferentiated
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Procedure; Company Policy; ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings
Tower conducts PRM procedures contrary to every other Precision Runway Monitor (PRM) approach we do and it is dangerous and confusing. Tower transmission is transmitted at the same time on the Monitor frequency. When we are listening to both as required the quality of the Tower transmission is very poor. We had to ask 2 times if we were cleared to land. Imagine listening to the Tower through a tin can with strings attached to both ends.Additionally last night the Tower controller was a female controller and just outside the marker a male voice directed us to slow to our final approach speed as were following a Heavy. It seemed to us that (because of the difference -male vs female voice and poor audio quality) the instruction had come from the monitor frequency. It is possible that it was the Final controller or a supervisor; but we could not tell and it led us to wonder if we should respond on Tower or Monitor frequency? As a pilot the ONLY transmission I expect to hear on the monitor frequency are breakout instructions.At [other airports]; we hear every transmission that the Tower controller is making on the Monitor frequency. I contacted the Tower supervisor on the way home via phone to express concern. I relayed all the information above and he thanked me for actionable information and stated that they receive many complaints about the quality of radio communication from tower during PRM approaches. Also called to ask ATC coordinator to intervene and try to promote corrective action. He agreed (based on his experience with setting up PRM approach procedures at [another airport]) that the only time we should hear any transmission from the Monitor controller is if they are issuing Breakout instructions.
A pilot reported poor quality radio transmissions while monitoring Tower and Monitor controllers while conducting a PRM Approach.