WRKO xmtr work / DX opp

[nowradioguy]

There are parts of the transmission system for which most AM stations have no backup and those are the phaser, antenna tuning units and the towers themselves as well as related coaxial cable, switches and the like. All of these need maintenance, and all of them can deteriorate or become defective. So going off the air for one or more nights of maintenance is nothing unusual. A very few stations have an auxiliary antenna or an auxiliary transmitter site (although these are quite common with FMs).

The FCC generally would not even know about that sort of thing unless the station found a need to operate under an STA with parameters at variance, which requires a filing.

David,

I think you may have misunderstood me. I was trying to get across that I agreed with another poster who mentioned that WRKO didn't seem to go out of its way to tell their audience that they could be heard on 100.7 HD-2.

I do fully understand a directional AM cannot afford to duplicate its antenna farm in any way, shape, or form.

 

[davideduardo]

David,

I think you may have misunderstood me. I was trying to get across that I agreed with another poster who mentioned that WRKO didn't seem to go out of its way to tell their audience that they could be heard on 100.7 HD-2.

I do fully understand a directional AM cannot afford to duplicate its antenna farm in any way, shape, or form.

Gotcha!

I don't think that most people inside stations give any credence to the idea that anyone is actually going to tune to an HD channel if a station's main signal is down as they know how truly few radios there are and how many fewer know how to use them. They are best served by promoting a stream if they are going to keep programming running during the down time.

 

[nowradioguy]

Gotcha!

I don't think that most people inside stations give any credence to the idea that anyone is actually going to tune to an HD channel if a station's main signal is down as they know how truly few radios there are and how many fewer know how to use them. They are best served by promoting a stream if they are going to keep programming running during the down time.

David,

Yet again, I believe you are correct on this. Makes me wonder if HD really has a future in its present form.

 

[ggraves]

David,

Yet again, I believe you are correct on this. Makes me wonder if HD really has a future in its present form.

HD seems to be more profitable as a data delivery service than as a means to deliver audio channels. Live traffic information, weather data, etc to car dash systems. BMW, Toyota, and I think a couple of others get this info from HD side bands. Whereas, the broadcast companies have yet to properly monetize just about any of their audio HD channels.

 

[Wimmmex]

Whereas, the broadcast companies have yet to properly monetize just about any of their audio HD channels.

Considering that the expense to run a sidebar HD channel is so low...it doesn't really have to be monetized.

Kinda like a station having a web site.....some extra interactivity with your audience, more real estate to sell.

Most of the HD channels I hear now have some limited commercials and/or sponsorship.

Also works as "value added" for some of the advertisers.