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WDEL joining HD age

W

WTUX

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WDEL is talking a play from KYW's game book and is going on WSTW's HD-3, in addition to now broadcasting in HD on 1150.

I wonder if either WILM or WDOV will decide to go on WRDX or WDSD's HD-3?
 
Haven't heard anything about HD from WILM, but my guess is they will eventually do that, especially as more people get HD radios. So far, I don't know of anyone who has an HD radio so whether it's WDEL on WSTW HD3 or WRTI's HD services (they air jazz during the day and classical at night on their HD2 station, which is the opposite of their on air schedule) or KYW on HD, etc it doesn't make much difference or will catch much attention unless you have an HD radio.

It's ashame that Allan Loudell isn't still at WILM where he basically programmed the station as he pleased, prior to the CC takeover. I could image all sorts of documentary programming airing on a WILM HD2 that they'd not be able to air on the AM station. Both foreign and domestic programming. I don't believe Loudell gets to have much say in programming at WDEL other than what interviews he does on his newscasts. But maybe Delmarva will ask Allan about that sort of programming for a WDEL HD2.

WDEL has been working hard to make a market for themselves, in the upcoming post AM radio world, with their internet site, online listening, Pod Casts, Various WDEL Blog sites, and their video newscasts, etc, as AM radio continues to decline, so it does make sense that they'd be involved with HD radio programming too.
 
MikefromDelaware said:
It's ashame that Allan Loudell isn't still at WILM where he basically programmed the station as he pleased, prior to the CC takeover. I could image all sorts of documentary programming airing on a WILM HD2 that they'd not be able to air on the AM station. Both foreign and domestic programming. I don't believe Loudell gets to have much say in programming at WDEL other than what interviews he does on his newscasts. But maybe Delmarva will ask Allan about that sort of programming for a WDEL HD2.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the AM band does not have sufficient bandwidth for secondary HD channels. If (and that's a big if) HD ever catches on, the market value of FMs relative to AMs will grow because they are capable of transmitting second and third signals. The third FM channel, because of its limited bandwidth, is well-suited for the type of talk and news programming now prevalent on AM. As if AM properties needed yet another bullet to the head....
 
I guess this would make the argument that news/talk might benefit by moving from AM to FM as WTOP in Washington did. They'd have those extra two extra channels to air things that the regular WTOP doesn't have air time for, as I elluded to using Allan Loudell as an example. Who knows, maybe WTOP is already doing that with their HD signals.

Has WTOP-FM had an increase of the younger demo tuning in for their newsradio broadcasts or is it still an older demo that supposedly is what is drawn to AM news/talk? If the national talkers (Rush/Hannity, Air America) moved to FM would that pull in a younger demo. It's a shame that Philly actually had an FM news/talker WWDB a few years ago. Possibly they were ahead of their time.

Of course that leaves KYW which could certainly move to FM someday which would give them that same 3 channel availability to do things that their on air format doesn't allow.

That would also mean that WHYY-FM would have that same ability to air three channels of programming. I could see 90.9 airing their normal NPR news/talk programming on ch1, the music/drama type NPR programming on ch2, and more documentary programming on ch3.

As far as Wilmington is concerned, it only has two FM stations, both of which are #1 and #2 ratings wise (the others are rim shot out of town stations from Dover, Havre de Grace, Salem, and of course Philly), so my guess is thost two Wilmington FM's will not be switching formats to news/talk, so AM, for now, still is king in Wilmington for news/talk, which is good for both WDEL and WILM.
 
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