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102.7 HD2 is off the air
- Thread starter BruceNYC
- Start date
I would assume it is off for good due to cost cutting at Audacy. Lance reported on RadioInsight recently to expect many HD2/HD3 music channels to be shut down.
It seems to be still on the Audacy app/website as of writing.
But those two channels are programmed by Audacy.
Okay, then for whatever reason those two and BetQL are the only HD stations that are still here as of today. We did have a total of 7 extra HD channels across 5 main Audacy stations. Today there are three, plus the obligatory main stations in HD. Two of the stations are no longer offering any extra HD channels. Audacy has been missing from Android Auto for months now. I see a major demise.
Follow Up: Lance's article on RadioInsight mentions that it's music formats that are going away on HD to save licensing fees. Comedy Now and BetQL are not primary music formats so it makes sense that they will stay. Comedy Now rarely runs a music comedy selection. This doesn't explain Channel Q, which has gone to a non-hosted, mostly music format itself, but maybe there are plans that I am unaware of.
Of course BetQL is still on. Should have put money on that one.
Not in the San Diego market. They are purely running HD here.
Understood... I should have clarified and referenced my response on a national scale not SoCal. Sadly that seems to be the reason they are in the wind. It had the potential to be a good complement to the analog offerings but iBiquity blew the rollout on so many different levels and then there is the TPO differential/reception issues for the HD subs and it was a recipe for failure as much as I hate to think it let alone type it and read it!
Yeah, I understand what you're saying. iHeart sunsetted a few HD2/3 formats last year sometime in the same kind of bloodbath. In San Diego we had Alt, which pretty much duplicated our two existing alternative stations, as well as The Breeze, which was our market's only old-style, soft AC format. They kept the AM simulcasts, BIN and Pride Radio. I'm wondering if that's why Audacy is keeping Channel Q up, as it's right now the direct LGBTQ+ competitor to Pride.
I hope not! It sounds great! Way better than when Alt was on FM.
Here in Houston, Audacy's Smooth Jazz, "HarD" Rock, Texas Country, and Tejano HD channels are still going.
The local channels required local automation, effort, the licensing fees, all of that. Channel Q they have 1 national feed that can be piped into the channels directly with a Barix box. Cheaper.
Most of the ones iHeart turned off already were piped in directly with a Barix box. Simply simulcasts of their national streams. Supposedly these simulcasts were to help save them money on licensing fees for their national streams by having them attached to a radio station rather than just internet only. They probably found out it was not worth the hassle.
Like Audacy, iHeart has one big national music feed and it just happens to be Audacy's competition.
I wonder whether the ethnic stations that lease time on local HD channels are finding it to be worthwhile. Three of them broadcast in Russian, one provides Caribbean programming, and another focuses on the area's Jewish community.
Over the past few years, there have been others. They generally did not last very long. But the Russian HD stations have been on for a few years.
Over the past few years, there have been others. They generally did not last very long. But the Russian HD stations have been on for a few years.
If it’s an HD lease that’s tied to a translator, such as the Russian feed that’s on 104.7, they have no choice. It’s a requirement that a “primary” feed a translator as you probably are already aware. As for the stand-alones that simply lease a sub channel, I cannot imagine there is any benefit that cannot be gained by a simple stream. Now that royalties issue referenced above between broadcast vs web is an interesting one and I have no doubt iHeart knew exactly how to pinch their penny’s there!
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