WIP HD1, HD2 KYW, HD3 WYSP (thought that would be gone by now but the playlist is updated daily), WTDY HD1, HD2 CHANNEL Q, WOGL HD1, HD2 PANTANO, HD3 WPHT, HD4 PHILLIES, WBEB HD1, HD2 GAMBLER....why WUSL and WHYY shut their HDs off is odd, they are not Audacy signals......thats it for now
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audacy hds still on the air
- Thread starter wibgradio99
- Start date
WUSL and WHYY both shut off their HD signals a while back. If the HDs are not making money, why have them? For iHeart, they use HD2's for AM signals (WRFF-HD2 airing WDAS-AM and WDAS-FM-HD2 airing WTEL). WIOQ-HD2 is leased to RUSA (and they still have HD3 on as Pride Radio), and and WUMR-HD2 is the never-die JJZ Smooth Jazz feed. Interesting that Pride on Q and JJZ on Rumba are still going.
The only Audacy HD loss in Philly so far is the 70s channel on WBEB-HD2, as they moved BetQL from HD3 to HD2. (Will they fire back up the HD3 to put regular B programming on during the holidays?)
One funny note while I was scanning last night, Channel Q on WTDY-HD2 had a legal ID still saying HD3. It's been a while since Alt died on WTDY-HD2 and they moved Channel Q from 3 to 2. Just an automated afterthought.
These companies have more content than they have stations to run them, due to ownership limits. Not all the content is mainstream stuff that will attract local advertising. So HD is a logical place to put it. It's a way to give that content exposure without costing much money.
But no one besides we radio geeks and a handful of other people know HD exists and how to access these stations on our radios. iHeart especially has been very internet and app focused for years, so they'd rather have these channels as streams.
Yes, some (all?) are hosted on HD sides somewhere to save on licensing fees, but that is about the only use for HD for iHeart (again, other than leasing out HD channels, or using them to simulcast AM)
That's why they don't attract local advertising. But they exist as a public service for those who want them.
The companies aren't in the public service business. They're in the moneymaking business, and running HD2s and 3s with music formats that don't make the company money aren't a requirement.
We in Philly are lucky that Beasley still has sides like WMMR-HD2 and WMGK-HD2. (Although have they EVER touched the playlist of WBEN-HD2 since signing it on?)
The FCC says they are required to serve the public interest, convenience and necessity.
But you're right that running HDs are not a requirement. However, as I said, these companies have deals with various content providers such as BetQL and others. Those deals require clearances in major markets. HD accomplishes that.
“Exposure” is doing some heavy lifting there. HD radio has effectively no awareness, so it’s being exposed to an audience that might, on a good day, fill up you neighborhood Applebee’s. But sure, they can say it’s there and it’s exposed and it’s a public service and all that.
Everyone knows that’s a laugh, but plays along with the game.
Everyone knows that’s a laugh, but plays along with the game.
95.7 WBEN-HD2 in Philadelphia has had the same playlist since the summer of 2007. They are a “rhythmic variety hits” format. I listened since I got an HD radio in 2006. They played some current rhythmic CHR hits. They added new hits often. Club Ben was one of my favorite stations back then.
In the summer of 2007 they just stopped updating it. You can hear some lost hits from 2006/2007 like Paula DeAnda - Easy, Pussycat Dolls - Buttons, Kat Deluna - Whine Up, Fergie - Glamorous, Akon - Smack That, Rihanna - Break It Off, etc. still in heavy rotation. But nothing newer.
I have been listening to this station since then and nothing has changed, they’re not intentionally doing a throwback format, they just haven’t cared to update it. I don’t mind it because 2006 and 2007 was a good time in my life, my freshman year of college. I’m hoping that they never change the playlist or get rid of the HD2, because I want my future kids to enjoy it too.
It may be that this is my favorite post of all time. (This may sound like I'm raggin on ya, but I promise I'm not.) We've had no shortage over the years (decades?) of people publishing totally serious posts about how a station should exist to serve their own personal tastes. But now, we have one about how a station should exist to serve the tastes of their as-yet-unborn children! I want to give you an award, NickD! (And to celebrate this site's illustrious history, I want it to be called the "1210 AM Needs to Change Formats Right Now" Award.)
For what it's worth, BEN-FM is my favorite Philadelphia station. And I also enjoyed Club BEN back in the day, but I must admit I gave up on the HD2 long, long ago because they so blatantly stopped updating the library. To me, it became pointless, irrelevant, and honestly a little bit frustrating. Fast-forward to 2023, and now I find it to be more of a curiosity than anything else.
Station management clearly doesn't give a flying fig about it. I'd bet there are people working at the station who don't even know it exists! Airing the HD2 brings in no revenue and it must cost at least something--even if just the electricity. All of this long-windedness brings me to my inquiry: Does anyone have any idea why it's still on? And if they actually want to have it on, wouldn't it be more on-brand if they did something zany with it? Hell, 24x7x365 Christmas music would probably garner more interest than shuffling a couple hundred ancient dance songs.
I can't imagine there are enough people employed by Beasley now-a-days to even notice or probably care at this point. The person that thinks of mentioning it more than likely has a moment of reason and realizes if they do, it could conceivably be more work for them. What *would* get their attention with WBEN-HD2 is if someone wanted to *lease* it for a translator... $$$$ talks as they say. Entirely sad that 15+ years and counting it rolls on. Talk about Auto-Pilot! Wonder if its the same PC running it LOL... Now there is a testimonial!
You want to talk about the biggest waste of an HD, try WOGL HD4 what is that all about.....at least XTU HD3 plays good music in between Flyers games.....
Probably an agreement between the Phillies and Audacy that they would dedicate a channel to the Phillies as part of their broadcast contract.
Is it weird listening to a baseball game that you don't know when it was from etc? Sure. Is it oddly soothing to hear baseball on the radio in the middle of winter? Yeah.
I'm more confused by the Flyers 24/7 channel on XTU-HD3. I tuned in and heard the song "Lean On" by Major Lazer and thought "what does this have to do with the Flyers?"
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