FM News isn't in HD

[nd2023]

For about the past week, maybe longer, FM News 101.9 hasn't been in HD. That also means CD 101.9-HD2 isn't on the air. And it also means you can hear Q102 and 101.7 The Beach a lot better.

I noticed IQ 106.9 in Philly was in HD only for a few days around when it first launched, and hasn't been in HD since. And Merlin's FM News 101.1 in Chicago had its HD out of sync with the analog when I was passing through Chicago in January.

Hopefully this means Merlin doesn't care about HD. Gotta love how even in market 1, stations can be without HD for weeks and no one notices except the DXers.

 

[Barry]

The fact is that it has been very common for HD signals to be down for weeks at a time. So apparently even the small amount of HD radio listeners on the boards don't bother mentioning it anymore when stations aren't running HD.
I have not been able to receive WPAT FM in HD for several weeks. WALK FM has had its HD off more often than on. etc. etc.
I once called a station that had not been using HD for several months. They said I was the only listener that had mentioned it to them. I was told it would come back on in a few months, but it did not.

 

[R.F. Burns]

It's possible that Merln didn't continue paying Ibiquity and so decided to drop their HD exciter transmission. The license to broadcast HD doeesn't travel with the sale of a radio station. As to the number of listeners, HD radio continues even though the doomsayers continue to predict it's end, and a shot while ago there was talk about 1 Carribean Radio going off the air, which as it turns out was another wrong prediction. It still broadcasts on HD2:



"The Future on 105.1 FM HD2

One Caribbean Radio (OCR) 105.1 FM HD2 has taken a giant and courageous leap into the technologically advanced radio spectrum, by broadcasting on the latest platform since FM began 50 years ago. First HD TV- crystal-clear images, now HD Radio – crystal-clear digital sound.

OCR 105.1 FM HD2 is now broadcasting to the number one Media Market in the world, the New York Tri-state region, in total DIGITAL quality. Never before has Caribbean broadcasting ventured into such a dynamic direction."


http://www.onecaribbeanradio.com/about.php

 

[nd2023]

It's possible that Merln didn't continue paying Ibiquity and so decided to drop their HD exciter transmission. The license to broadcast HD doeesn't travel with the sale of a radio station. As to the number of listeners, HD radio continues even though the doomsayers continue to predict it's end, and a shot while ago there was talk about 1 Carribean Radio going off the air, which as it turns out was another wrong prediction. It still broadcasts on HD2:



"The Future on 105.1 FM HD2

One Caribbean Radio (OCR) 105.1 FM HD2 has taken a giant and courageous leap into the technologically advanced radio spectrum, by broadcasting on the latest platform since FM began 50 years ago. First HD TV- crystal-clear images, now HD Radio – crystal-clear digital sound.

OCR 105.1 FM HD2 is now broadcasting to the number one Media Market in the world, the New York Tri-state region, in total DIGITAL quality. Never before has Caribbean broadcasting ventured into such a dynamic direction."


http://www.onecaribbeanradio.com/about.php

Too bad the many pirate stations are almost certain to have more listeners.

 

[Barry]

As to the number of listeners, HD radio continues even though the doomsayers continue to predict it's end, and a shot while ago there was talk about 1 Carribean Radio going off the air, which as it turns out was another wrong prediction. It still broadcasts on HD2:



"The Future on 105.1 FM HD2

One Caribbean Radio (OCR) 105.1 FM HD2 has taken a giant and courageous leap into the technologically advanced radio spectrum, by broadcasting on the latest platform since FM began 50 years ago. First HD TV- crystal-clear images, now HD Radio – crystal-clear digital sound.

OCR 105.1 FM HD2 is now broadcasting to the number one Media Market in the world, the New York Tri-state region, in total DIGITAL quality. Never before has Caribbean broadcasting ventured into such a dynamic direction."


http://www.onecaribbeanradio.com/about.php

I was the one that originally posted on this board that One Caribbean Radio was off the air. And it was factually true. They were originally on WSKQ HD2 for a while. Then at the beginning of this year, they stopped broadcasting, till the end of May.
They resumed broadcasts this month on the stronger signal of WWPR's HD2. I am glad they returned, as much of their programming seems quite good.

 

[RadioMan203]

Once all these stations figure out they're paying ibiquity for a whole bunch of nothing HD will go the way of AM Stereo. My HD tuner is in storage at the moment but the fact that a station's HD signal can be absent for weeks at a time with no complaints from the audience tells it all. HD is the answer to a problem that didn't exist.

 

[BarryATL]

In Atlanta the new all news station owned by Cumulus, All News 106.7 turned off their HD last week. I am thinking this is a trend for all news stations to get an extra half a mile of coverage on their analog signal.

 

[MoldaMania182]

The fact is that it has been very common for HD signals to be down for weeks at a time. So apparently even the small amount of HD radio listeners on the boards don't bother mentioning it anymore when stations aren't running HD.

I'll be the first to admit my reaction at the title was, Whoopie, who gives a $#!%. The fact that it was this bottom feeder of the market makes it even more of a laugh.

 

[nd2023]

The fact is that it has been very common for HD signals to be down for weeks at a time. So apparently even the small amount of HD radio listeners on the boards don't bother mentioning it anymore when stations aren't running HD.

I'll be the first to admit my reaction at the title was, Whoopie, who gives a $#!%. The fact that it was this bottom feeder of the market makes it even more of a laugh.

The few people that listen to CD 101.9-HD2 on an HD radio care. Many more DXers are happy that 101.9 isn't in HD.

 

[Barry]

It would not surprise me if the smooth jazz channel on 101.9 FM HD2 gets shut down. Emmis dropped the long-running classic hip-hop channel on 97.1 HD2 to lease it to HumDesi Radio when the LMA of 97.9 took effect. The smooth jazz channel was the only remaining HD2 broadcast they were programming in New York. Unlike most HD2 channels, it has not also been streamed online. So it has had a particularly limited audience.
If Emmis was willing to shut down Kiss FM for financial reasons, they probably would take a hard look at the commercial-free jazz on 101.9. Merlin Media, which programs 101.9, may have little interest in HD2 formats.

 

[nd2023]

At least Merlin's smart enough to realize that HD radio is a waste of money. But I wonder why they put an HD transmitter on 106.9 in Philly, even if just for a few days.

 

[pjc1961]

Keep in mind that HD is a very high maintenance technology. When some part needs adjustment/repair/replacement (which seems to happen more often than not), it takes a long time to get fixed.

From what I've read it's due to parts not being as readily available. I'll defer to the engineering folks as to the actual reasons.

So it may not be that the broadcaster doesn't care; it's more likely that it just takes too much repair time.
Granted: if it was the analog (regular) signals that were experiencing difficulty, you'd likely see a much quicker reaction and resolution.

When (if ) HD is working properly, it can be useful from a multi channel-casting view. But...

The WRXP-IR stream and HD channel that was briefly on 97.1 HD2 (after the Throwbacks channel was eliminated) disappeared before HumDesi took over after KissFM's demise.
There's little use for an extra channel/online only station that's only taking up another line on the expense ledger, especially if it can't be monetized.

 

[nd2023]

It's been over a month and the IBUZ is still off at 101.9. Hope it stays off forever.

 

[R.F. Burns]

It's been over a month and the IBUZ is still off at 101.9. Hope it stays off forever.

Why? Is there a station on 101.7 or 102.1 you want to hear? If you're in NY, those frequencies are only noise IBOC or otherwise? Sometimes it seems like the anti IBOC people are acting like a scorned lover with an interest to see the technology fail. I live in the NY market and can not, under normal conditions, receive anything on commercial band first adjacents. By the way, there are far fewer DXers than HD listeners. That isn't to say anything other than you can count the number of DXers on one or two hands, as long as we're talking comparative numbers.

 

[BruceS8852]

I enjoyed hearing smooth jazz on 101.9 HD2 and hope it comes back. The smooth jazz format was on 101.9 for about 20 years which was much longer than any format at the frequency. The only problem was that the audience was aging.

Bruce

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

Sometimes it seems like the anti IBOC people are acting like a scorned lover with an interest to see the technology fail.

...and some of us have decades invested in this business and hate to see it frittering away millions of dollars a year for something the public clearly doesn't want or need and something that cannot, by design, work efficiently or consistently. And before we see the same old retort that your HD works just fine, your experience is clearly not the norm.

 

[nd2023]

It's been over a month and the IBUZ is still off at 101.9. Hope it stays off forever.

Why? Is there a station on 101.7 or 102.1 you want to hear? If you're in NY, those frequencies are only noise IBOC or otherwise? Sometimes it seems like the anti IBOC people are acting like a scorned lover with an interest to see the technology fail. I live in the NY market and can not, under normal conditions, receive anything on commercial band first adjacents. By the way, there are far fewer DXers than HD listeners. That isn't to say anything other than you can count the number of DXers on one or two hands, as long as we're talking comparative numbers.

Yes, I want to hear 101.7 The Beach and Q102. I was able to hear both those stations on a car radio in Manhattan on July 6, during a tropo opening. I also want to hear Rock 102 and Kiss 101.7, and a whole bunch of stations from 1000 miles away on 101.7 and 102.1.
I'd say that most DXers are HD listeners because most DXers have HD radios. The Sony HD radio is expensive because only the DXers are buying it.
If you consider all hams to be DXers, then there are more DXers than HD listeners.

 

[Brian Bowers]

Commercial radio is about making money, while entertaining the masses. It is no secret that most radio station owners try to keep overhead down, while trying to make as much profit as possible. While HD radio installations and equipment may initially be a Capital Expense, they eventually turn into nothing but maintenance, which equals overhead. If it's not making a profit, why keep it? Even at this stage of the game, I highly doubt HD radio, at more than 5% of all radio stations with HD transmitting capability, is making any money for the company. I would love to be proved wrong on that. It is yet to be seen if making HD Radio standard in new vehicles will generate enough consumer demand (like RDS did) to convince more radio stations to take the plunge. I doubt it, as radio listening continues to fade...

 

[R.F. Burns]

Sometimes it seems like the anti IBOC people are acting like a scorned lover with an interest to see the technology fail.

...and some of us have decades invested in this business and hate to see it frittering away millions of dollars a year for something the public clearly doesn't want or need and something that cannot, by design, work efficiently or consistently. And before we see the same old retort that your HD works just fine, your experience is clearly not the norm.

And I have nearly 40 years in commercial radio. Your point? Broadcasting has to evolve or it will just fade like the 78's of our past. Take a look at the evolution of the phonograph record. As technology evolved so did the delivery system or music to the public.

 

[R.F. Burns]

It's been over a month and the IBUZ is still off at 101.9. Hope it stays off forever.

Why? Is there a station on 101.7 or 102.1 you want to hear? If you're in NY, those frequencies are only noise IBOC or otherwise? Sometimes it seems like the anti IBOC people are acting like a scorned lover with an interest to see the technology fail. I live in the NY market and can not, under normal conditions, receive anything on commercial band first adjacents. By the way, there are far fewer DXers than HD listeners. That isn't to say anything other than you can count the number of DXers on one or two hands, as long as we're talking comparative numbers.

Yes, I want to hear 101.7 The Beach and Q102. I was able to hear both those stations on a car radio in Manhattan on July 6, during a tropo opening. I also want to hear Rock 102 and Kiss 101.7, and a whole bunch of stations from 1000 miles away on 101.7 and 102.1.
I'd say that most DXers are HD listeners because most DXers have HD radios. The Sony HD radio is expensive because only the DXers are buying it.
If you consider all hams to be DXers, then there are more DXers than HD listeners.

I can't speak for your understanding of propagation but receiving a distant station via enhancement such as ducting or e layer skip is not a reason to disallow IBOC. Stations are licensed to cover specific geographic territiories. Anything outside of their protected contour is subject to interference. That's the law. You want to listen to these distant stations, use the internet. By the way, I am a licensed amateur operator, having an extra class license which I've held for well over 20 years.