How well is HD Radio doing around here?

[fredcantu]

I had not seen this on the board, but driving through Bastrop today I heard Emmis' 105.5 translator carrying KLBJ-AM.

 

[jras20]

I had not seen this on the board, but driving through Bastrop today I heard Emmis' 105.5 translator carrying KLBJ-AM.

wow... wonder when that flipped?

 

[Anonymouse]

Emmis launched another HD channel today at 107.1-2 playing nothing but metal.

Checking it out now.....

In the first 30 seconds of listening, I can already tell I like this channel.

 

[JDawg512]

I don't think Mega will ever be on a analog signal.  As much as I would like it to be, I don't think it will.  Even if it would, they might turn into like the Party 97.7.

Just buy a HD radio.

I think it will, Austin's demographics are going to be changing rapidly in the next 2 years as we get a large influx of European, Australian, Mexican and South American people coming in for Formula One racing, MotoGP and the V8 Supercars of Australia.  Those demos are huge with Dance/Electronica and many of these people will be making a second home if not move completely to Austin. We are already seeing huge interest and land buying by international investors in the Austin area and especially around the track.  Not only that but Top 40 has much more dance these days, many people would like the sound of Mega.  Just go Downtown to any of the big nightclubs and you will hear Dance/Electronica with the clubs packed.  Everybody that I have introduced the station to love Mega and listen to it over Kiss FM.  Again you don't need an HD radio to hear Mega.  Mega can easily use the Circuit of the Americas as an advantage for advertising and promotion of the station.

 

[fredcantu]

Austin's demographics are going to be changing rapidly in the next 2 years as we get a large influx of European, Australian, Mexican and South American people coming in for Formula One racing, MotoGP and the V8 Supercars of Australia. Those demos are huge with Dance/Electronica and many of these people will be making a second home if not move completely to Austin.

Seriously-- Second homes in Elroy? Indianapolis never mentioned this real estate boom and they had F1 for seven years. They also don't have a dance station. The top stations in Indy are Soft AC, Country, Talk and Classic Hits-- in that order. Where's the European, Australian, Mexican and South American influence?

 

[JDawg512]

There is a difference between Indianapolis and Austin. Too many people try to compare the two and you can't. Everything from the fact that the Circuit itself is completely different, the fact that it is the first Purpose built Grade 1 track in North America. Indianapolis has been home to the Indi 500 for 100 years now. It is home to American racing and the fact that it was already established and built up meant you already had the condos and residential in place. Im sure there were wealthy Europeans that had places there during that time. They held F1 there for 7 years but the main reason why it did not do well there is you had most of the circuit within the oval track away from the stands. Was not a good spectator venue for it at all. The land around the Circuit is being bought up faster than hot cakes right now, many parcels have been bought by Mexican and European investors and Developers. We are already have people moving in, I talked to a guy Downtown who moved here from Germany who got a job here working with the construction. He really likes Austin and is wants to stay here for good. Plus Austin's track will have multiple International events year around MotoGP, V8 Supercars, and we will be hearing another major announcement in the coming weeks of another high profile international race. From the get go, our track will be much more international than any other track in the United States. Im not saying everybody who comes to the races from other countries will automatically move here obviously. But we will see a fairly wealthy population who will buy either a second home or move to the area. Indianapolis is completely different. I can see Mega using it to their advantage.

 

[fredcantu]

Look at it this way. There are 1,472,000 people here now according to the Austin ratings page, 1,572,000 if you include the 100,000 race fans that will move here. Even if all of the 100,000 people did move here and ALL of them listened to the same station, that niche audience represents less than 7% of the available audience in the market. Is that a big enough slice of the pie to justify a format swap for an existing FM?

 

[JDawg512]

Im also counting people who like Dance/Electronica that are here in Austin now. A good amount as well over the age of 25. We will see what will happen. I am an optimist and I will always hold out hope that good things will come.

 

[Pete Pyeatt]

Any news on why 96-7HD2 went off the air and when it will be back? Also, I was in San Marcos and picked up 104-5HD3. I wasn't aware KZEP had an HD3. It was transmitting Michael Savage, I believe. Is this a 1310 simulcast?

 

[daypart]

I wasn't aware KZEP had an HD3. It was transmitting Michael Savage, I believe. Is this a 1310 simulcast?

Sounds like KRPT, the much maligned 92.5 that has a weak signal in most of the metro.

 

[Anonymouse]

I wasn't aware KZEP had an HD3. It was transmitting Michael Savage, I believe. Is this a 1310 simulcast?

Sounds like KRPT, the much maligned 92.5 that has a weak signal in most of the metro.

KZEP-HD3 does simulcast KRPT 92.5, a news station.
KAHL 1310 AM is being simulcasted on 103.7 in San Antonio. That's easy listening.

 

[fredcantu]

KAHL 1310 AM is being simulcast on 103.7 in San Antonio. That's easy listening.

KAHL continues to be the little station that could. Little by little it's building an audience.

 

[daypart]

KAHL 1310 AM is being simulcast on 103.7 in San Antonio. That's easy listening.

KAHL continues to be the little station that could. Little by little it's building an audience.

Probably picking up many of the 55+ listeners that KONO abandoned when it dropped most music from the 1960s a year or two ago.

The very few times I've sampled KAHL, it seems like they've broadened their playlist as I described above. 5 years ago, KAHL was a MOYL station. Now, The Beach Boys have replaced Lawrence Welk.

 

[fredcantu]

The 55+ crowd gets a bad rap as having no money. But after the Wall Street thieves wiped out everyone's 401Ks, they're the only ones with money. They kept it in good old-fashioned savings.

 

[Pete Pyeatt]

To answer the question, I think it is doing very well in Austin.

103-5HD2 airs original programming based out of Austin
107-1HD2 airs original programming based out of Austin
98-1HD2 covers areas that K276EL cannot and KVET-AM can't at night
90-5HD3 airs Jazz, a format you cannot pick up on the terrestrial side

I am not impressed with the 104-9 HD channels. They cover about the same area as their translators (97-1 and 106-5 Keilah may be better than their HD2 and HD3 counterparts), and the sound is horrible. I wish one of the 104-9HDs would air a "Digital" (spanish pop y mas) format. Even if it weren't based out of Austin, give the listeners something we cannot find on terrestrial radio. I would accept a simulcast of Digital 107-3 out of Laredo, similar to what 107-7HD2 is doing with San Antonio's KXTN, offering the listener a format (Tejano) not provided on Austin's terrestrial side.

 

[fredcantu]

I would accept a simulcast of Digital 107-3 out of Laredo, similar to what 107-7HD2 is doing with San Antonio's KXTN, offering the listener a format (Tejano) not provided on Austin's terrestrial side.

Tejano is available in Austin 24/7 on KTXZ 1560.

 

[fredcantu]

I am not impressed with the 104-9 HD channels. They cover about the same area as their translators.

104.9 is a Class A station running 3,200 watts. Under current rules. that would give its Hybrid Digital subchannels all of 32 watts ERP.

 

[Mediafrog+]

The 55+ crowd gets a bad rap as having no money. But after the Wall Street thieves wiped out everyone's 401Ks, they're the only ones with money. They kept it in good old-fashioned savings.

I think that might be true with some of the 65+ crowd, which uses large savings, paid-off homes, pensions, along with Social Security to get by. However, countless financial information sources I've read reveal that a majority of retirees are living off of SS and little else. There are some seniors that are doing quite well, but they are not the majority.

55-65 is likely more invested in 401k's and the stock market in general, and they took a huge hit. They are also likely to be carrying huge levels of debt, like those under 55.

The "good old-fashioned savings" won't be so good if massive inflation hits, which is a strong possibility. With both the government and the American public drowning in debt, the only way to get out of the hole might be to inflate it all away, and pay of debt with cheap dollars. Of course the price of everything would skyrocket, screwing those 65+ retirees.

 

[Pete Pyeatt]

I am not impressed with the 104-9 HD channels. They cover about the same area as their translators.

104.9 is a Class A station running 3,200 watts. Under current rules. that would give its Hybrid Digital subchannels all of 32 watts ERP.

Not necessarily. Some HD stations run at 10 percent or five percent. In this case, however, 104-9HD2 and 104-9HD3 are probably running at one percent.

 

[jras20]

So is KHFI done with HD? It has been off for over months at seems like now.