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95.7 HD2... Dual Audio Sources
- Thread starter jayxs
- Start date
If a tree falls in a forest...
HD Radio is practically abandonware at this point. The only useful purpose for HD Radio is to feed analog translators. I'm willing to bet that some of the LPFMs around town have more listeners than Channel Q or the Oldies format on KRBE.
Classical on KUHF HD-2 and Praise on KMJQ HD-2 regularly show a pulse in the ratings, so a few people are listening, and neither of the formats is on a translator. Classical fans are probably more tech savvy, while the Praise audience has likely been promoted by word of mouth from people discovering it on their HD enabled car radio.
Although not in a majority of cars, more people have access to HD in their vehicles that you might think. Getting them to be aware of it, understand what it is and how to access it is another matter.
IIRC, it doesn't take more than a few PPM listeners to register a 0.1 share (I want to say it only took 1 person?). And it's very likely that every LPFM around town is not encoding for PPM to compare. But considering LPFMs are analog, it's a pretty safe bet.
I very much doubt that. It's not a feature you have to "turn on". At some point, people would figure out that there are subchannels on some stations and listen to them. So why haven't they shown up more frequently in the ratings after a decade on the air?
My guess is that those who are technologically savvy enough to "buy" an HD Radio have moved on to OTT, on-demand streaming content.
You have to remember there aren’t many different choices on Hd sub channels. Most of them are either broadcasting AM stations, translators even other FM stations too.
What are you talking about!? KRBE, KGLK, KHMX, KHPT, KMJQ, KKHH, KILT, KKBQ, KQBT, KAMA, and KLOL all have original programming on at least one of their subchannels. In a market with only 23 fully licensed commercial FM stations (local and rimshots), that's about a 50% increase in original content available to HD Radio users.
The choices are there. The listeners aren't. My guess is that consumers don't care enough to buy DOA technology when there are other cheaper alternatives gaining traction. It's gotten to the point that touchscreen radio units with Apple Car Play/Android Auto are cheaper than a touchscreen unit with HD Radio.
AM is in much worse shape! Unlistenable at night in Houston; second-worst in the nation to (surprisingly) D.C.! Gen Xers and younger stick with FM exclusively.
The only AMs listenable 24/7 are KILT, KTRH, KPRC, and KBME. They are also available on sister FM subchannels.
In the full MSA, even KTRH does not have an interference-free contour covering it all at night. The others don't come close.
Houston is Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto and Waller counties.
There are quite a few metros that have no full market day and night AM signals, such as Phoenix, San Diego, Orlando, Miami (although a couple with STA's are close), Riverside/San Berdoo, Providence, Birmingham, Mobile, Jackson, MS, Little Rock, Grand Rapids, and more.
And many have just one full or nearly full market signal: Cleveland, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Albuquerque, etc.
We have to keep in mind that Nielsen does not survey cities, and never has. They survey metro areas which are generally one or more counties.
Houston is like most of these, sunbelt cities that were much smaller when the clear channels were allocated. IIRC, the city of Houston was less than 200,000 population in 1940.
Doesn't KAAY cover all of the LR metro at night?
No, in fact. Even at 50 kW, 1090 is highly directional and puts a poor nighttime signal over Saline County (Benton/Bryan/etc) and is not great in Lonoke County to the east either. Both counties are considered part of the Little Rock market.
1090 has also suffered a lot of technical issues over the past decade or two and has deteriorated from its prior glory (not unlike many AM facilities). I think I heard the plant has been upgraded and restored somewhat recently though.
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AnyHuman
Guest
I heard Little Rock's 1090 a year ago or around then here in Kansas City one night. Maybe more than once but I can't remember. I guess they have gotten good enough to send signal my way.
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AnyHuman
Guest
I was in Tulsa recently and one of their HD signals was WAY too loud on the volume... All I could hear was overdriven music and couldn't even make out the lyrics. Lots of popping noises in with the sound because of the overdriving.
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