Question about HD maintenance

[Len14043]

I have a question for anyone familiar with the operation of stations. Once a station decides to run IBOC, how much does it cost to maintain IBOC after the initial costs such as installation and licenseing fees are incurred?

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

I have a question for anyone familiar with the operation of stations. Once a station decides to run IBOC, how much does it cost to maintain IBOC after the initial costs such as installation and licenseing fees are incurred?

Ignoring issues such as salaries (since it's obvious that most HD stations aren't hiring extra people just to maintain and program the HD signals), the ongoing costs are exactly the same as the cost of running an analog station. The equipment needed to produce and transmit an air product must exist and must be maintained.

 

[SUPERCASTER]

I have a question for anyone familiar with the operation of stations. Once a station decides to run IBOC, how much does it cost to maintain IBOC after the initial costs such as installation and licenseing fees are incurred?

Ignoring issues such as salaries (since it's obvious that most HD stations aren't hiring extra people just to maintain and program the HD signals), the ongoing costs are exactly the same as the cost of running an analog station. The equipment needed to produce and transmit an air product must exist and must be maintained.

You are neglecting to mention the new HD expenses. iBiquity will soon be back for more licensing cash to pay off their high risk, high interest rate, creditors, and investors.
HD Transmitters and combiners are notoriously power hungry and inefficient. The HD encoders problematic, and unreliable. Parts are expensive. Maintenance, failures, and adjustments, frequent. HD listeners are few. HD produces no revenue, just expenses.
If the RIAA has it's way, the new digital streams will have to comply with the "Digital Millennium Copyright Act" and will not be eligible for the "compulsory license" that analog AM and FM stations traditionally have enjoyed. The digital station streams may have to pay per tune, plus new "Sound Exchange" artists royalties, just as other digital media.
That's just for starters!