Was just curious if anybody has any of the much promoted HD radios. I have 2 Sony HD radios- and not for the HD content, but for their great selectivity and sensitivity. I listen to 97X's HD channel 2 which is "The Grunge Channel"- but it's nothing more than a computer playing the same songs over and over, 98Rock simulcasts 970 WFLA on their channel 2 and the others in the area I don't even bother with. I do know being 2 miles from the towers of 97X, 98 Rock and 105.5 The Dove, that any reception of adjacent frequencies is impossible when they have their HD turned on. But was really wondering if any casual listeners have forked out the money for this "great new product" and what reception results you might have- particularly in a mobile environment.
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Tampa Bay area HD
- Thread starter fldxer
- Start date
I have it in my car and did have a portable boombox for a short time. The only reason I got it was I'm a radio guy and wanted to know what the stations were doing.
Quick notes:
All 6 Cox stations are operating jukeboxes on the HD2. Nothing groundbreaking and each compliments their HD1 sister. Star 101.5 is highly repetitive. 107.3 The Wave and 97X-2, and Oldies 105.5 fill format holes in the market but again, nothing you can't hear on satellite or internet.
CBS has AM1010 on 99.5 HD3. Contemporary Christian on 104.7-HD2. Jazz was on 94.1-HD2 but the other day the signal was silent. Maybe "old school" Wild coming?
Clear Channel runs formats from their corporate lab with the exceptions being the old Thunder rock format on 103.5 and as you said, a WFLA simulcast on 97.9.
All in all... nothing special and I don't recommend anyone spending money for it. Over 50% of the offerings have a very high burn factor. The Cox jukeboxes especially.
Quick notes:
All 6 Cox stations are operating jukeboxes on the HD2. Nothing groundbreaking and each compliments their HD1 sister. Star 101.5 is highly repetitive. 107.3 The Wave and 97X-2, and Oldies 105.5 fill format holes in the market but again, nothing you can't hear on satellite or internet.
CBS has AM1010 on 99.5 HD3. Contemporary Christian on 104.7-HD2. Jazz was on 94.1-HD2 but the other day the signal was silent. Maybe "old school" Wild coming?
Clear Channel runs formats from their corporate lab with the exceptions being the old Thunder rock format on 103.5 and as you said, a WFLA simulcast on 97.9.
All in all... nothing special and I don't recommend anyone spending money for it. Over 50% of the offerings have a very high burn factor. The Cox jukeboxes especially.
I travel I-4 and I-75 inbetween St. Pete/Tampa, Orlando and Lake County quite frequently... I can start getting 94.1 HD headed back from Orl to Tampa on I-4 around the Orange Ave area of Downtown Orlando, but all other Tampa HD stations come back around Auburndale or as early as Haines City just as I'm crossing the Polk Co. line. Over on 75, I get all Tampa HD back once I cross into Pasco County coming back from Leesburg, including the 94.1 signal. (So Orlando gets a better focus of 94.1's signal than Sumter or anything north of Pasco it would appear to me.) About 5 minutes back in towards Tampa on either interstate, I tend to keep the signals without any loss of link. I can keep the 620 and 970 AM HD signals decently until about County Line Rd. when I am leaving Tampa, but I don't monitor them that often.
WFLZ's HD2 "Club Phusion" is locally programmed by Brian Fink. It is shared nationally, but done locally...
Cannot hold a lock on 97X HD2 in Brandon.........just a few seconds/moments at a time is the best I can do while driving.
BTW, my opinion of WFLA on 98rock HD2 is that it sucks, no relation to the main channel programming (wouldn't listen to that right wing wacko BS anyway)
My understanding is that Originally 98 rock was supposed to ''resurrect the original 98 rock from circa 1990'' at least musically for their HD2, instead we got that mix garbage, what do they call that ?....well, who cares......that's gone too.....in favor of non music programming
I'm more than disappointed in that turn of events, kinda like first to worst in my world....
BTW, my opinion of WFLA on 98rock HD2 is that it sucks, no relation to the main channel programming (wouldn't listen to that right wing wacko BS anyway)
My understanding is that Originally 98 rock was supposed to ''resurrect the original 98 rock from circa 1990'' at least musically for their HD2, instead we got that mix garbage, what do they call that ?....well, who cares......that's gone too.....in favor of non music programming
I'm more than disappointed in that turn of events, kinda like first to worst in my world....
Agreed - WFLA (We're Fools Liars and A##holes) could have been placed on the HD3 like CC has done in other markets. I used to like the new rock and mashups they used to play. Classic 98 Rock would work as well. For now, HD in Tampa is a waste.
WFLA is simulcasted on WXTB-HD2 because of it's tower location. It is able to reach the northern counties of West Florida where the 970 signal can't. Believe it or not, they are trying to serve an entire market with radio news. A novel concept.
I just wish they would make use of the southern CC HD stations with it also. I find it difficult to pick up the AM-HD and the 97.9 HD where I am.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
I just wish they would make use of the southern CC HD stations with it also. I find it difficult to pick up the AM-HD and the 97.9 HD where I am.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
I understand the stick position. Couldn't they do that on the HD3? It is my understanding that the HD3 portion carries the same distance but with a narrower audio range which is fine for simple voice transmission. Tell me if I am wrong.
John Waywoods said:
Maybe they could, but why? There is no benefit to the station to broadcast HD past HD-1. There is no marketing or sales advantage at this time. The HD only channels are just spending money and siphoning off the pieces of the sales dollar and/or listening ears at this point.
The fact that the TOH includes a legal ID with the HD simulcast is probably giving it more visibility than it could garner on its own - and helping to make people curious about HD.
Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!
The true use of the HD2 HD3 etc will not be more music formats but will be brokered programming. The channels will eventually be leased out to religious organizations who want to play radio. Also HD will also draw a lot of ethnic programming. That is already starting to happen in northern cities where there is a lot of ethnic population. Niche ethnic programming will find its way there. Anyone who thinks these channels will have all these exotic music formats is smoking funny weed. What is on the HD's now is nothing more than a placeholder.
Wish someone would start up an HD3 and just air the delayed talk programs when they're supposed to be cleared. Boortz, Hannity, Clark... Guess I'm just still too familiar with WDBO from living in Orlando. Wouldn't mind getting Mancow in the morning drive either, just as an alternative to the status quo.
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