It seems to me to be a waste of broadcast spectrum to use an HD subchannel as a primary feed for a translator. The whole idea of HD subchannels is to increase choice and variety. Sadly, this has not been the case, at least in the Houston market. Plus, you have the chicken and the egg analogy, because there are very few radios out there that are HD-capable. When KTRU sold their license to University of Houston, which in turn laundered it to KSBJ, they were diverted to an HD subcarrier. For a time, they were giving radios away so people could listen to them.
Is HD something ahead of its time, or just a booster shot for FM, which really doesn't need a booster shot in the first place? I think a more useful use of the Commission's limited resources is an expansion of the FM broadcast band. After all, if there is one thing that Houston desperately needs, it's room for more Mexican translators.
Is HD something ahead of its time, or just a booster shot for FM, which really doesn't need a booster shot in the first place? I think a more useful use of the Commission's limited resources is an expansion of the FM broadcast band. After all, if there is one thing that Houston desperately needs, it's room for more Mexican translators.