WBAP drops HD

[txchipk]

I'll believe in HD radio when Walmart starts carrying receivers.

Start Believing ! ! !

http://www.walmart.com/search/searc...48_0&search_query=hd+radio&Find.x=15&Find.y=6

Sorry, go to an actual Wal-Mart store and see what happens. I did this past weekend and got blank stares from the workers in the electronic section. They had no HD radios on the shelves at all. The salespeople thought I was looking for satellite radio or an HDTV.

Seriously, this technology is dead. Radio can pour more money into it if they want and try to revive it, but it's dead. Moving everyone to another frequency to do full digital would be fine, but that will take years. It's probably a more worthwhile goal than spending money on a technology that people do not want to buy for the price that's being offered.

I was in Fry's a few days ago. They had one system with a HD radio on it and it could not pick up any of the HD "channels between the channels" signals in the store.

The folks that run the big radio companies really seem to be clueless. For people in the business of advertising and marketing other people's products, they really did a poor job of marketing their HD subchannels and the technology. Originally advertised as the alternative to all those satellite channels as being "free" and "local" channels, these new "local" subchannels ended up mostly being automated jukeboxes with no "local" content.

At this point, why would the average listener get one...assuming they make it through the hassle of finding a store that carries it (and that store actually has one that works to demo it)...since there doesn't seem to be anything compelling on the HD2 channels anyway? I heard KEGL advertise it has a classic rock signal on 97.1HD2. What does it offer that co-owned KZPS doesn't? If it is better, why isn't on KZPS? If it is more of the same, what is the need of having it on the HD2 channel? Is a 3rd classic rock signal really going to drive people to go out and spend $150 on a HD radio?

It strikes me putting on formats not on the analog signals would be better...there isn't full-market FM signals for a lot of formats: urban AC, classic country, Americana, standards, black gospel, etc.

 

[Lancer]

I have yet to walk into any electronics store and find a functioning HD demo unit. I saw an iLuv HD clock radio for 60 bucks at JC Penney at Grapevine Mills, but no demo unit was setup. Just a stack of them in the middle of the aisle.

Just wondering if Castro ever used IBOC to jam Cuba's airwaves, sure seems effective here in the States....

 

[arnoldevns]

Seriously, I have heard some of the "channels between the channels" by tuning in to them on AOL Radio. If you can hear them online for free, why pay $150 for a new radio? The only one I liked was The Strip on Jack FM. There's nothing really "local" about it and it has the same repetition problem all the other stations have.

It's funny Lancer mentioned Grapevine Mills... A few years ago I tried to hear an HD radio at a Radio Shack there. It wasn't set up to get any signals and the sales person immediately tried to sell me on satellite radio.

 

[TheRover]

Can't the same thing be said for television, and what choice do we get in that decision?? It just seems the government has gotten greedy and in the name of an improved signal, they are auctioning off and reducing the size of the public's airwaves!

Not to derail the topic of this thread..... but.... as to Digital TV.... regardless of the "size" of the airwaves.... the fact that broadcasters can put up to --5-- channels on a signal, ---is--- a GOOD thing to Me.

CH 58 is now broadcasting in 5 channels.

CH 68 has 4 channels.

Ch 5 and Ch 8 each have 3 channels

Some of these extra channels are Weather Radar, some News/Radar, some Sports, etc.

I'm happy with with I'm getting on Digital. It's an oppurtunity to better serve the community, if you are a broadcaster and want to go in that direction...

Now.... Back to your previously scheduled Program.

 

[TheRover]

This Morning, I did a full survey of the AM Band from home on the Radio Shack Accurian Tabletop HD Radio.

These are the stations I was able to pull in, in HD with the AM Loop Antenna that was included with the radio:

570 KLIF

620 KMKI

770 KAAM

1080 KRLD

1270 KFLC

The HD website http://www.morefreeradio.com/HDinDallas.html

also lists these station as having HD soon:

700 KHSE

990 KFCD

The list is not completely up to date on stations that no longer are broadcasting in HD, however....

 

[KyDXIn]

I Noticed that WHAS-840 in Louisville has dropped the IBOC Hash for the last couple of days, too. Now...if WLW in Cincinnati and others would take a hint and realize that HD on AM is nothing but an interference maker for those of us who like to listen to distant stations.....

I'm glad I haven't bought an HD radio. I enjoyed listening to the old AM stereo that was in my grandmothers Aries K car back in the day, but even that went away for the most part! Why won't they stick with AM stereo? Seemed like a more stable format than HD.

 

[KyDXIn]

November 30th I was driving through Indiana in the early morning. Tuned into WBAP to get the DFW weather (where it has been strong in the past) and WHAS HD was wiping it out...
I was intrigued by the possibilities for AM HD but I am severely disappointed.

See we have people running the FCC that have the mentality that no one cares about DX listening! They don't know the potential of the airwaves that they are governing. What a waste! There are people who would like more programming than 105 different
ways to tune into alien abduction on Coast-to-Coast AM!

 

[klutch00]

I Noticed that WHAS-840 in Louisville has dropped the IBOC Hash for the last couple of days, too. Now...if WLW in Cincinnati and others would take a hint and realize that HD on AM is nothing but an interference maker for those of us who like to listen to distant stations.....

I'm glad I haven't bought an HD radio. I enjoyed listening to the old AM stereo that was in my grandmothers Aries K car back in the day, but even that went away for the most part! Why won't they stick with AM stereo? Seemed like a more stable format than HD.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: WHY THE HELL CAN'T A QUALITY ANALOG AM TRANSMISSION STANDARD BE IMPLEMENTED?! AMAX and certain other standards were NEVER given a chance which is disgraceful!

 

[KyDXIn]

Can't the same thing be said for television, and what choice do we get in that decision?? It just seems the government has gotten greedy and in the name of an improved signal, they are auctioning off and reducing the size of the public's airwaves!

Not to derail the topic of this thread..... but.... as to Digital TV.... regardless of the "size" of the airwaves.... the fact that broadcasters can put up to --5-- channels on a signal, ---is--- a GOOD thing to Me.
CH 58 is now broadcasting in 5 channels.
CH 68 has 4 channels.
Ch 5 and Ch 8 each have 3 channels
Some of these extra channels are Weather Radar, some News/Radar, some Sports, etc.
I'm happy with with I'm getting on Digital. It's an oppurtunity to better serve the community, if you are a broadcaster and want to go in that direction...

You are lucky. In my area I have only 2 stations with subchannels. PBS has 4 channels, and our NBC affilate had the Tube which went dark over a year ago, and the WeatherPlus channel went dark 2 days ago.

 

[Megapsycle]

"WBAP drops HD" when's that supposed to happen? Still "HD" as of this moment. I just fired up the Sangean to check it out. Maybe I should drag out my old C-QUAM AM stereo tuner in anticipation?

 

[gabigley1]

"WBAP drops HD" when's that supposed to happen? Still "HD" as of this moment. I just fired up the Sangean to check it out. Maybe I should drag out my old C-QUAM AM stereo tuner in anticipation?

Yes, whats the point of this thread if they aren't going to drop IBOC any time soon. ???

 

[rbrucecarter5]

"WBAP drops HD" when's that supposed to happen? Still "HD" as of this moment. I just fired up the Sangean to check it out. Maybe I should drag out my old C-QUAM AM stereo tuner in anticipation?

It was off for several days before I started the thread. Interesting that I was the only one on here who even noticed! It must be back,

 

[jd]

That's OK, bruce. Whether they're doing it or not is of no concern to most of us here. For WBAP to run HD is pointless, news-talk on AM is on life support and the whole band is toast. A whole generation that didn't even know AM existed, and still doesn't, is now in the prized money demo and listening to FM if they listen to regular radio at all.

The way to save the stations is to open up the soon to be [virtually] blank TV channels 5 and 6 and also in my opinion reducing spacing in that area to 600kHz out to 45 miles or so, 400 kHz at about 55 miles to accommodate the new full-power arrivals. The radios are out there already, only they're in Japan and a number of other countries around the world. It's time we caught up by shooting the dying horse and creating an even playing field for all stations in a market.

 

[radioeye]

That's OK, bruce. Whether they're doing it or not is of no concern to most of us here. For WBAP to run HD is pointless, news-talk on AM is on life support and the whole band is toast. A whole generation that didn't even know AM existed, and still doesn't, is now in the prized money demo and listening to FM if they listen to regular radio at all.

The way to save the stations is to open up the soon to be [virtually] blank TV channels 5 and 6 and also in my opinion reducing spacing in that area to 600kHz out to 45 miles or so, 400 kHz at about 55 miles to accommodate the new full-power arrivals. The radios are out there already, only they're in Japan and a number of other countries around the world. It's time we caught up by shooting the dying horse and creating an even playing field for all stations in a market.

The highest rated station in Austin is KLBJ AM and new-talk station. Some local and mostly syndicated programming. Although I agree with what you've said, I myself still like AM radio. And I hope that they give it the move to FM Digital on the former TV ch.5 & ch.6.

If analog TV is going away, so should analog AM and analog FM. Do it and be done with it.

 

[davideduardo]

The highest rated station in Austin is KLBJ AM and new-talk station.

And KLBJ is unique in being the #1 staton 25-54 in the market... I can't think of another major market where an AM is #1 in 25-54.

 

[Huff]

The highest rated station in Austin is KLBJ AM and new-talk station.

And KLBJ is unique in being the #1 staton 25-54 in the market... I can't think of another major market where an AM is #1 in 25-54.

Out of the Top 100 markets, there were only 3 instances in the Fall 2007 book where an AM ranked 1st in a market:

BOSTON - WEEI (Sports, fueled by the Red Sox)
MILWAUKEE - WTMJ
RIVERSIDE - KNX (event driven - Oct. wildfires)

My nationwide demo data is incomplete for '08, but I believe WTMJ is the only one of the above stations to maintain its 25-54 performance consistently into last year.

 

[davideduardo]

The highest rated station in Austin is KLBJ AM and new-talk station.

And KLBJ is unique in being the #1 staton 25-54 in the market... I can't think of another major market where an AM is #1 in 25-54.

Out of the Top 100 markets, there were only 3 instances in the Fall 2007 book where an AM ranked 1st in a market:

BOSTON - WEEI (Sports, fueled by the Red Sox)
MILWAUKEE - WTMJ
RIVERSIDE - KNX (event driven - Oct. wildfires)

My nationwide demo data is incomplete for '08, but I believe WTMJ is the only one of the above stations to maintain its 25-54 performance consistently into last year.

WTMJ continues, through Summer 08, to be #1 in 25-54. In Riverside, PPM, December shows KFI 15th and KNX 18th in the IE. WEEI is now 3rd in 25-54.

 

[newsmark]

It was off for several days before I started the thread. Interesting that I was the only one on here who even noticed! It must be back,

I noticed, too, Bruce. I just assumed it was down for maintenance.

770 KAAM sounds too bassy to me in HD. I'd really like that station in HD if they fixed the bass.

If/when stations ever go digital-only, will that relieve some of the interference problems that IBOC causes?

 

[radioeye]

It was off for several days before I started the thread. Interesting that I was the only one on here who even noticed! It must be back,

I noticed, too, Bruce. I just assumed it was down for maintenance.

770 KAAM sounds too bassy to me in HD. I'd really like that station in HD if they fixed the bass.

If/when stations ever go digital-only, will that relieve some of the interference problems that IBOC causes?

IBOC for AM is about as popular with broadcasters as AM stereo. FM IBOC as currently authorized, doesn't work as well as the analog signal in buildings. Maybe, with the new administration coming into office and a new Chairman, the FCC will authorize some other standard that broadcasters can accept en masse.

As long as the two signals try to co-exist. It's not going to work. AM nightime was authorized when everybody knew it has severe problems. FM IBOC is now asking for a ten fold increase in power.

The Commission should take a clean cut approach to the problem and not try to band-aid the problem.

 

[TheRover]

It was off for several days before I started the thread. Interesting that I was the only one on here who even noticed! It must be back,

I noticed, too, Bruce. I just assumed it was down for maintenance.

770 KAAM sounds too bassy to me in HD. I'd really like that station in HD if they fixed the bass.

If/when stations ever go digital-only, will that relieve some of the interference problems that IBOC causes?

Good Luck on that one....

I complained over a year ago to the station about the "Too Much Bass Situation" -- to no avail.....

But then, that brings to light the lack of concern by a lot of stations at getting their Digital Signal "Just Right".