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HD Radio Question, on side channels

B

billythekiddd09

How many side channels can you have? Would there be an issue of broadcasting a sisterstation on your hd side channel? Would the FCC not like broadcasters doing that? Just wondering.

I've not experience HD Radio yet, and wondering about signal issues...will it hurt your coverage area?
 
I think you can get something like 9 different channels, but you lose quality for every channel you add.

That's my non-expert answer.

For more info go here: http://hdradio.com/
 
I believe there are a few stations broadcasting sisterstations on side channels, like in Minniapolis I think its WCCO-AM that is broadcast on an FM station. Which makes since, even though they have a great signal, still in the downtown area its hard to get into some of the big buildings.
 
Clear Channel is the leader in HD programming. It seems all of their large markets are using the HD channel. Just one side band for each station. No one is doing three or more? Not sure if that is even possible...but wondering.
 
There are a handful of stations running HD-3 programming, most that I know of are in market 1, or 2.
 
It depends on what you want to do. The standard seems to be two stereo channels and one mono. You have 96Kbps of to work with total, so you can divide up the data in any way to make it what you want. You can have one great sounding HD channel, or you can have two medium quality HD channels at 48kbps. Or you can split it more to like having two running at 40kbps stereo and one at 16kbps mono.

So, the standard is two to three. Technically, though, you could do as many as you wanted to at a lower quality.
 
WKLU in Indy is airing a total of 3 stations on their freq.

wklu.net
 
how is their audio quality on the main frequency? With three side channel I would think it would sound like FM, then whats the point of doing HD? And at this point, what is the point of doing HD period, no one can hear it.
 
By main frequency you mean what? The analog sounds like FM. When you get into IBOC the standard seems to be 3. 1 is your analog in HD, 2 is a different format, and 3 is a different format in mono. 1 and 2 have the same bitrate, and it's a tad better than FM. Main selling point is the elimination of static and multipath. You get the digital signal or you don't get it.

The point of putting HD on at this time is the theory of the chicken or the egg. You have to put on programming that people want to hear before you can sell receivers to the consumers. There has to be some interest. If there weren't any stations doing it, what would be the point to buying a receiver? I do think that the pace is moving pretty slow...
 
Re: About Clear Channel side channels

Speaking of Clear Channel, the Quad City Radio Group is owned by Clear Channel, and I have some ideas for those stations as well as other stations in the QC radio market....

93.5-1 "Star 93.5"

93.9-1 93.9 WYEC (music from 1950s and '60s)
93.9-2 93.9 WYEC (music from 1970s)

96.1-1 "Mix 96"
96.1-2 All 1980s music

96.9-1 "The Quad City Rocker, 97 Rock"
96.9-2 "The Classic Rock Station, 97X"

101.3-1 "Good Time Oldies, 101.3 KUUL-FM" (with old jingles)
101.3-2 All 1970s music
101.3-3 "The Christmas Superstation" (during holiday season)

103.7-1 "#1 Country, WLLR"
103.7-2 Classic country station

104.9-1 "The River 104.9" (new country)
104.9-2 "Great Country 105"
104.9-3 "104.9 Lite FM"

106.5-1 "Classic Hits that rock--Q106.5"
106.5-2 "Classic Hits from the stage--QHD2"
106.5-3 "We flushed the format!" (Get it?)
 
does anyone know if there is talk to mandate a switch to digital radio like there is digital TV?
I imagine this would be much arder to pull off for radio given all the incar sets. But, it is the future.
 
No mandate God save us!

IBOC (In Band On Channel) is really In band Adjacent Channel. The fuzz you hear on the channel up and down from teh main channel.

Ability to listen is questionable. Most receivers do not pick up stations well as they braodcast 1% of their main power level on digital.

50,000 watts becomes 500. 6kw becomes 60 watts. Now, when you run your exciter instead of the main transmitter cause it's dead, what is your coverage like?

Makes ya wonder what they were thinking or not thinking.
 
IBOC is at 10% of licensed power analog, according to our engineer (and some others on the HD Radio board)

I agree though about a mandate. I think that would put us out of business.
 
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