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Audacy HD2 stations

radiofan2023 said:
"Can't make enough money doing that to make it worthwhile"
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TheBigA said:
Maybe the real problem is nobody was listening. That's what the ratings show.

If the programming is there, and people stop listening, who's fault is that?
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And both of those combine for "expense to operate, extra engineering headaches, maybe higher licensing fees with ASCAP/BMI/SESAC/GMR" and the corporate beancounters will say "turn it off".

HD has never caught on big time. The ratings prove it; in the vast majority of markets, HD channels are primarily used to feed analog translators.
 
K.M. Richards said:
And both of those combine for "expense to operate, extra engineering headaches, maybe higher licensing fees with ASCAP/BMI/SESAC/GMR" and the corporate beancounters will say "turn it off".

HD has never caught on big time. The ratings prove it; in the vast majority of markets, HD channels are primarily used to feed analog translators.
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The problem was in the beginning. Ibiquity was more concerned about intellectual property and milking licensing fees from radio stations, equipment manufacturers and anyone they could outside of listeners than they were actually getting it established. So, stations at least had a little fun experimenting with it, and could eat the initial setup costs. But there was a half-assed effort by Ibiquity to actually put it into devices that people could hear it on. Tabletop radios? Who buys those in the 21st century (though I picked up a used Insignia one at Goodwill for $5 recently). Microsoft put it in their Zune audio player, which was fine, but they had no idea how to compete with Apple on that failed product. Ibiquity should have been persuading car manufacturers to make it available, even in base models. But many of the car manufacturers were turned off by Ibiquity's shenanigans and licensing fees.

So again, a technology that was almost inaccessible to the public. At a time when satellite radio, digital music files, iPods, smartphones, improved streaming codecs, connected car entertainment systems and unlimited data plans were starting to become normal. And people ask why it wasn't successful?

Granted, the technology isn't perfect. AM HD is a dog. But the HD1's of FM stations do sound really good (when done right). Even the HD2 channels sound decent. It could have gone somewhere, and maybe it still could on a smaller level (but Xperi doesn't seem much better than Ibiquity). It could have worked, and it could have gotten interesting.

The FCC is certainly to blame too. They let Ibiquity try to turn it into a greed exercise, rather than let it develop and evolve like FM radio did (or chosen a less expensive, license-free technology like FMeXtra). The FCC, while sorting out their DTV plan, also could have done something like DAB using some of the TV spectrum. Obviously, a big chunk of UHF is now valuable real estate sold mostly to the phone carriers to help implement 5G, but what about low VHF? Channels 2-6 are just not very good for DTV broadcasting. Not many stations use it, unless out of desperation. It could have worked for digital radio, or even an extended FM band (or some form of both). But the FCC basically became lapdogs for corporate interests. They screwed the pooch on broadcast digital audio. And wound up with a dog.
 
Here is a possible clue to why Audacy is shutting down HD subchannels:

radioink.com

More Layoffs As Audacy Closes Pineapple Street Studios - Radio Ink

Audacy has ended operations at Pineapple Street Studios, which it acquired for $18 million in 2019, and laid off its staff.
radioink.com radioink.com

Pineapple Street is one of the podcast arms of Audacy. It looks like they are downsizing their non-core radio operations (noting that their on-air stations are moving to iHeart's app):

www.insideradio.com

iHeartMedia And Audacy Strike Major Content Distribution Deal, Bringing 240+ Stations To iHeartRadio.

iHeartMedia and Audacy have announced a landmark content distribution deal that brings Audacy’s 240+ radio stations and podcasts to the iHeartRadio app. Starting today, iHeartRadio users can stream top Audacy
www.insideradio.com www.insideradio.com

While I don't believe any of the eliminated HD formats were produced at Pineapple, this is certainly an indication that they are tightening their focus on the primary business.
 
Loverofradio said:
what does Audacy need? I don’t get how they failed at this when others are succeeding in this venture?
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Who is succeeding with HD?

If you're talking about Pineapple, they really didn't need a separate podcasting platform. Especially now that their podcasts will also be available on iHeartRadio.
 
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As of this past Friday afternoon (I didn’t think of posting this until now), I found that all the L.A. Audacy HD2s and HD3s that were turned off are broadcasting again. Examples include the K-FROG simulcast on 93.1 HD2, BetQL ON 93.1 HD3, 94.7 HD2 and HD3, Firelane on 97.1 HD3, and the duplicate ChannelQ on 101.1 HD2. Did Audacy have a change of heart or something?
 
Maybe the HD encoders were offline for some reason. Unless someone inside Audacy L.A. speaks up, we will never know, because there is no requirement to file with the FCC when a HD subchannel is offline.
 


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