Is HD1 required in a legal ID?

[101tm]

Interesting case here I’ve noticed between two markets I go back and forth between.

I notice most large market stations, as well as even smaller mid-market stations like Greenville/Spartanburg SC will ID themselves as, for example, “WSPA-FM/WSPA-HD1 Spartanburg”, “WFBC-FM/WFBC-HD1 Greenville”, etc. All of the Audacy, iHeart, etc stations follow this method. Large market stations follow this as well.

I’m currently in the Augusta, GA market. iHeart and Beasley are the primary players, and almost NONE of their stations (all of iHeart’s are in HD, and a couple of Beasley’s) identify the HD1. For example, iHeart ID’s “WBBQ-FM Augusta” even though the station is operating in HD. Same for “WLUB Augusta”, no mention of the HD in the legal ID.

I’m just using these two markers as an example, but aren’t stations in HD supposed to identify the -FM and -HD1? Just odd that there’s an entire market where none of the FM’s actively operating in HD identify it.

Here are just a couple of examples:

 

[Kelly A]

73.1201 Station identification.

(a) When regularly required. Broadcast station identification announcements shall be made:


(1) At the beginning and ending of each time of operation, and

(2) Hourly, as close to the hour as feasible, at a natural break in program offerings. Television and Class A television broadcast stations may make these announcements visually or aurally.

(1) Official station identification shall consist of the station's call letters immediately followed by the community or communities specified in its license as the station's location; Provided, That the name of the licensee, the station's frequency, the station's channel number, as stated on the station's license, and/or the station's network affiliation may be inserted between the call letters and station location. The transmitting station may insert between its call letters and its community of license the following information: the frequency of the transmitting station, the channel number of the transmitting station, the name of the licensee of the transmitting station and the licensee providing the programming, and/or the name of the network of either station. Where a multicast station is carrying the programming of another station and is identifying that station as the source of the programming, using the format described above, the identification may not include the frequency or channel number of the program source. A radio station operating in DAB hybrid mode or extended hybrid mode shall identify its digital signal, including any free multicast audio programming streams, in a manner that appropriately alerts its audience to the fact that it is listening to a digital audio broadcast. No other insertion between the station's call letters and the community or communities specified in its license is permissible.


(2) A station may include in its official station identification the name of any additional community or communities, but the community to which the station is licensed must be named first.

 

[101tm]

Thanks, Kelly!

Interesting that Beasley or iHeart aren’t aware of this on a local level.

 

[kevtronics]

Sometimes they bury the HD ID in a stopset and only run the analog ID at top of hour.

 

[DaveBayArea]

I can't remember where I heard it first, but it is generally accepted that it's OK to identify the station's HD signal in the PAD (Program Associated Data - the text that accompanies the HD broadcast). The logic behind this is that anyone listening to a digital radio can see the readout on the radio with the station's call letters and HD-1 suffix. The audience listening on an analog radio is not listening to a digital broadcast, so there's no legal reason for them to hear a TOH ID with the HD-1 suffix.

Dave B.

 

[semoochie]

I've noticed that some stations identify as KXXX-HD1, completely missing the analog ID!

 

[gr8oldies]

Even with the legalese above, I don't think anybody fully understands it. I mostly hear it "WIMZ and WIMZ-HD1 Knoxville", or for an HD2 feeding iHeart programming, "WRIT-HD2 Milwaukee". I've never heard an AM mention an HD (WLW-HD1 Cincinnati)

 

[Kelly A]

Even with the legalese above, I don't think anybody fully understands it. I mostly hear it "WIMZ and WIMZ-HD1 Knoxville", or for an HD2 feeding iHeart programming, "WRIT-HD2 Milwaukee". I've never heard an AM mention an HD (WLW-HD1 Cincinnati)

Is WLW still running HD? Last I listened, which was last winter, there was no HD carrier.

Honestly? The Commission isn't going to nitpick this issue. As long as stations make an attempt to provide some sort of station identification, whether it's in a textual form under PAD, RDS, or aural in the station ID, it's good enough.

 

[Kelly A]

I've noticed that some stations identify as KXXX-HD1, completely missing the analog ID!

Provided KXXX HD1 is followed by the community of license, calling it HD1 isn't going to solicit an NAL from the Commission.

 

[gr8oldies]

Is WLW still running HD? Last I listened, which was last winter, there was no HD carrier.

Honestly? The Commission isn't going to nitpick this issue. As long as stations make an attempt to provide some sort of station identification, whether it's in a textual form under PAD, RDS, or aural in the station ID, it's good enough.

I don't think so....just an example. But, no, the commission isn't sweating it and never has.

 

[Kelly A]

I don't think so....just an example. But, no, the commission isn't sweating it and never has.

Exactly. The only way the Commission would pay attention; is if the city of license in the ID was wrong, or grossly out of order. Even then, the station might get a 'what's up?' letter asking for a reason why the station is either not identifying, or ID'ing with the wrong location. Nobody's going to get busted for their HD-whatever not being ID'ed at the TOH.

 

[davideduardo]

Honestly? The Commission isn't going to nitpick this issue. As long as stations make an attempt to provide some sort of station identification, whether it's in a textual form under PAD, RDS, or aural in the station ID, it's good enough.

The rule certainly could be written better. Or, if possible, rewritten.

I'd suggest that any licensed service that includes audio, and/or video, and/or text should allow the licensee to do the ID in whichever of the modes is mot "convenient and reasonable". So AM analog would have to have a verbal ID, but AM HD could be text or audio.

The speed, font size (as a percentage of screen size) and duration of any text display should also be specified.

Of course, FCC counsel loves those rules... they mean more billable hours when the local manager says to the PD, "is it legal to do that?".

 

[davideduardo]

Nobody's going to get busted for their HD-whatever not being ID'ed at the TOH.

I remember around 1972 getting a notice from the FCC field bureau in Sabana Seca stating that the ID had been over 30" outside the +/- 2 minute window and that our time check was off by a minute, too.

 

[Kelly A]

I remember around 1972 getting a notice from the FCC field bureau in Sabana Seca stating that the ID had been over 30" outside the +/- 2 minute window and that our time check was off by a minute, too.

That's back in the day before they added "as feasible", and where local field offices monitored stations. Surprise inspections were an occurrence too. Now neither are the case.

 

[davideduardo]

That's back in the day before they added "as feasible", and where local field offices monitored stations. Surprise inspections were an occurrence too. Now neither are the case.

The best I heard of was at WKAQ in San Juan. The two engineers met with "Mr Klein" the FCC chief for Puerto Rico at the AM site, which was in a marshy area. After a very detailed inspection of the transmitters and racks in the building, the security of the structure, neatness of wiring and breakers, the fences on the tower, the notice sign and locked based gate, Mr. Klein, in English, asked the CE for a shovel or rake to check the ground system.

No infractions had been found so far.

A rake was found and Mr. Klein was looking at the condition of the copper. One WKAQ engineer said to the other, in Spanish, "why does not this obsessive gringo go f---k with someone else?"

Mr. Klein's wife was Puerto Rican. He spoke with her and his kids and neighbors in Spanish. But he never used Spanish on U.S. Government business. In fact, nobody had ever heard him speak a word in Spanish

But he turned to the two WKAQ engineers and said, in perfect Spanish, "Well, that was good practice. Now I'll be doing the real full inspection."

Hours later, there were 5 pages of detailed violations, right down to loose crimping on some contacts and two racks that were only "loosely" bolted together creating a "potential ground loop". Anything that could be called a violation of "good engineering practice" got noted in marvelous detail, even uneven lacing of wire harnesses which he measured with a ruler.

 

[xkxrx]

Hours later, there were 5 pages of detailed violations

But were they in English and Spanish???

 

[semoochie]

Provided KXXX HD1 is followed by the community of license, calling it HD1 isn't going to solicit an NAL from the Commission.

My point was that if you say, "KISW-HD1 Seattle" and nothing else, you aren't identifying the analog station at all!

 

[semoochie]

The best I heard of was at WKAQ in San Juan. The two engineers met with "Mr Klein" the FCC chief for Puerto Rico at the AM site, which was in a marshy area. After a very detailed inspection of the transmitters and racks in the building, the security of the structure, neatness of wiring and breakers, the fences on the tower, the notice sign and locked based gate, Mr. Klein, in English, asked the CE for a shovel or rake to check the ground system.

No infractions had been found so far.

A rake was found and Mr. Klein was looking at the condition of the copper. One WKAQ engineer said to the other, in Spanish, "why does not this obsessive gringo go f---k with someone else?"

Mr. Klein's wife was Puerto Rican. He spoke with her and his kids and neighbors in Spanish. But he never used Spanish on U.S. Government business. In fact, nobody had ever heard him speak a word in Spanish

But he turned to the two WKAQ engineers and said, in perfect Spanish, "Well, that was good practice. Now I'll be doing the real full inspection."

Hours later, there were 5 pages of detailed violations, right down to loose crimping on some contacts and two racks that were only "loosely" bolted together creating a "potential ground loop". Anything that could be called a violation of "good engineering practice" got noted in marvelous detail, even uneven lacing of wire harnesses which he measured with a ruler.

Our tax dollars at work

 

[fybush]

My point was that if you say, "KISW-HD1 Seattle" and nothing else, you aren't identifying the analog station at all!

Not so. "HD1" is one of several acceptable insertions between calls and COL. It's entirely legal.

 

[davideduardo]

Our tax dollars at work

Huh?

This was a case of two station engineers insulting an FCC inspector, thinking he did not speak their language.

I think Mr Klein (who inspected stations I managed a number of times in the 70's) was just doing his job (in a salt water marsh, ground system inspection is mandatory) until he was insulted.