WTDY HD2 Alternative and HD3 Channel Q have been off since the week before Halloween, they would be on and off before that but since then have never returned. I wonder if they will ever come back on, ALT 96.5 wasn't that bad. What I don't understand is why would WJBR HD2 simulcast the main signal with a two second delay, turn it off if you do not want to program something different on it, makes no sense, and as for WKXW running dead air on the 2 for months, what can I say. Maybe WPST has the right idea being the only full power commercial station in the metro still with no HD. SMMFH.
WPST's signal is diminutive compared to WKXW. 101.5 has been using HD for data since they first turned it on. They had no digital channels beyond the HD1 for several years, so while someone may have neglected to turn the HD2 off, Townsquare likely continues to monetize the data transmitted via HD technology on the superior 101.5 signal, with no reason to add it to the inferior 94.5.
A larger coverage area for the data services that 101.5 transmits is very important. The data services take bandwidth that would otherwise go to subchannels, limiting the quantity and/or quality of the subchannels. Plus, you can only lease out HD subchannels if there is a market for them, i.e. translators. Perhaps WPRB offered their HD subchannels cheaper than 101.5 for similar coverage, or maybe 101.5's data traffic limited the bandwidth available for subchannels; so PRB has 2 and 101.5 has none. The original WPRB HD2 tenant likely paid for the HD installation - WPRB itself has no reason of its own to implement HD.If it came down to expense vs ROI and the "upgrade/downgrade" to HD radio yielded a net profit simply by leasing out the HD subchannels to other operators to feed translators, 'inferior/superior" coverage is irrelevant as the primary contour is the only thing that matters and where the translator contours fit within.
NJ101.5 started out with just an HD1 channel (with lousy audio quality). On this board, we questioned why KXW even bothered with HD. I believe it was Tom McNally who confirmed that the original reason for 101.5's HD was data services. I guess they added HD2 later - perhaps before WPRB's HD was implemented? If 101.5 dropped HD, perhaps the data contract wasn't renewed.101.5 HD2 was music from India when they first went HD some years back then they completely dropped the HD until over a year ago. I guess the same format was/is on 103.3 HD2 currently so why duplicate.
A good HD2 format for 101.5 would be their weekend classic hits format. “The music comes out to play all the time on 101.5-HD2”. When the main HD1 is classic hits on the weekends, play 50s-70s oldies on the HD2.
I confirmed with WPRB that the Indian broadcaster on the HD2 paid for WPRB to go HD to feed a translator. They got a great deal to only pay the upfront cost of installation. WOLD leases the HD3 to feed a translator. WPRB used to go off the air every night before they went HD.
After an extensive search, the only 104.1 at the shore I found is a simulcast of the main WENJ sports signal. Although there is a Classic Rock 104.1 website. I also heard a promo last night of the free beer and hotwings morning show, which makes me think they are somehow tied into the 105.7 hawk. Unfortunately that nice tropo last night is gone and I am getting a faint Reach on 104.1 from Marlton.