• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

HD stations being tested on translators...any hope for HD channels to grow?

D

d21ofnj

Earlier today, WLTW-HD2 is now bieng simulcasted on a Long Island, NY translator. W268AN, as well as accumilating a translator out of Union City, NJ W269BT.  With the poor results of HD radio, and now the demise of the Zune, any hope for these HD channels to grow on behalf of translators?  I do know a translator out of Ithaca, NY is simulcasting WYXL-HD2 over there. 
 
This is a loophole that allows companies to have more than the maximum number of stations in one market. They apply for a translator for the main station and then transmit one of the HD channels. Its perfectly legal to do this, but has been met with some controversy in the Ithaca market.
 
This is just so wrong...it defeats the purpose for which HD Radio was created for; to multiplex multiple programming choices on a single station. There are community groups and AM daytime-only (or, "daytimers" with very little night power) that could benefit from the extra frequencies.

Big Corporate Greed!!! Hope this fails for them too!!!
 
Another translator simulcasting an HD channel outside the Austin, TX area....K288FJ Bastrop, TX simulcasting KBPA-HD2

http://radiotime.com/Search.aspx?query=K288FJ


In a way I see this....yes, it does defeat the purpose of HD radio, at the same time, if no one is listening because the product is not a hotcake and Zune HD being discontinued, what else can these "format fillers" do? 
 
I think what you're seeing is the real reason the subchannels were so excitedly hyped by iBiquity. It's a way to get a (relatively low power) extra station into the market without violating ownership caps.

Across the country, there's quite a few HD-2 stations being relayed on FM translators, like the alt rock "99X at 97.9" in Atlanta. The translator is 1,000 feet up on one of the city's tall towers, at 250 watts it's almost the same coverage as a class A station.

The rock HD-2 of a station in Baltimore is showing up in the ratings now thanks to its translator. It's certainly been an outlet for companies to put another format on. So it (FM HD) may stick around for a while because of this potential.

Some markets are also simulcasting an AM signal on an HD-2, then relaying it through a translator. Birmingham has a "new" station like that, although with the new rules for AM on translators I don't see why it's necessary anymore.
 
d21ofnj said:
Another translator simulcasting an HD channel outside the Austin, TX area....K288FJ Bastrop, TX simulcasting KBPA-HD2

http://radiotime.com/Search.aspx?query=K288FJ


In a way I see this....yes, it does defeat the purpose of HD radio, at the same time, if no one is listening because the product is not a hotcake and Zune HD being discontinued, what else can these "format fillers" do?
Click to expand...

What they can do is go away and stop cluttering up the spectrum with junk, which as you say, no one listens to anyway.
 
The syndicated Touch adult urban format is being broadcast on WNNK 104.1 HD2 and low-power translator W237DE on 95.3 in Harrisburg PA. If it were not for this arrangement, those without an HD radio would have no urban formatted station serving Central Pennsylvania. The signal is barely listenable more than 15 miles outside of Harrisburg proper, but it is better than no choice at all.
 
d21ofnj said:
Earlier today, WLTW-HD2 is now bieng simulcasted on a Long Island, NY translator. W268AN, as well as accumilating a translator out of Union City, NJ W269BT. With the poor results of HD radio, and now the demise of the Zune, any hope for these HD channels to grow on behalf of translators? I do know a translator out of Ithaca, NY is simulcasting WYXL-HD2 over there.
Click to expand...


The FCC is starting to clampdown on FM translators. Broadcasters found a loophole called HD and a way to add another FM signal to their market. These peanut poppers say
a 100 watts come with no hight restrictions and can work very effectively. The little train that could in analog has more value to listeners and broadcasters than digital HD radio. lol
 
Savage said:
Actually, iBiquity had nothing to do with the concept of subchannels for FM-HD. That idea came from NPR.
Click to expand...

Yeah, not to mention NPR's involvement with conditional access, Persona Radio and the dreaded HD-FM power increase. Does Ibiquity do anything anymore besides marketing and collecting fees?
 
Port Clinton, OH 94.5 WXKR-HD-2 being simlucast over a translator in Toledo on 100.7FM and ID's itself with the 100.7 frequency and rarely mentions the WXKR-HD2 callsign, nor thier alphanumeric translator callsign whatsoever.

So FM's can pull this crap, but they couldn't let a daytimer AM get an FM translator in the market?
 
I don't think there are any restrictions against daytime AMs getting translators. One in Alabama had one a while back. It relayed the oldies during the day and another similar formatted FM at night.

I can't remember exactly what happened to it, but I think at one time the day only AM was programming a/the translator 24 hours at one point.
 
JohnnyElectron said:
Port Clinton, OH 94.5 WXKR-HD-2 being simlucast over a translator in Toledo on 100.7FM and ID's itself with the 100.7 frequency and rarely mentions the WXKR-HD2 callsign, nor thier alphanumeric translator callsign whatsoever.

So FM's can pull this crap, but they couldn't let a daytimer AM get an FM translator in the market?
Click to expand...

About the only station I can think of is WBRV AM in upstate NY which is a daytimer oldies station. They were able to purchase and transfer an old NPR FM translator to use with the AM signal. They did make it clear in the FCC application that the 60dbu contour of the FM translator falls within the 2mV/m contour and also within a 40km radius of the AM signal. Its a 1kw daytime AM signal and a 250 watt FM translator. They informal ID with both the AM and FM frequencies.

But in other markets where HD subchannels are spawning FM translators, many will only informal ID using the translator frequency. It could be because WXKR-HD-2 or whatever it happens to be doesn't roll off the tongue nicely or the fact that they are targeting listeners on the analog translator only. They have to mention the HD subchannel in the top of the hour formal ID.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom