Why Doesn’t Bonneville Simulcast KTAR AM 620 on KMVP HD-2?

[asugeorge1]

I’ve been wondering this for a while, but now that it is 2021, it’s perplexing to me that Bonneville continues to not have KTAR 620 AM’s programming on KMVP FM HD-2. With more and more cars being made without AM radios and the degradation of the AM band in general, people can’t hear the sports play by play of many of the local teams when their game is regulated to 620 AM due to conflicts (which are common since KMVP 98.7 FM airs the Suns, Diamondbacks, ASU Basketball and Cardinals Football). Teslas and many other modern cars have no AM radios so, especially with baseball season starting soon, Bonneville should put 620 AM on KMVP 98.7 FM HD-2 ASAP. I doubt there is any added cost to doing it since KMVP FM already runs HD. Also, KMVP previously had an HD-2 station back when it was the Peak and the HD-2 was an all 80’s format.

Having KTAR 620 AM’s programming on KMVP 98.7 FM HD-2 would greatly improve reception for many people, especially at night, who can’t hear the games on 620 AM. I have even heard other stations, namely KNX 1070 in Los Angeles, advertise recently on-air related to this. The ad goes: “you have this fancy new electric vehicle, but it’s missing a basic feature like an AM radio. Luckily, it has an HD radio so you can still listen to KNX 1070 on KRTH 101.1 FM HD-2.” I would expect, especially for the local sports teams with play by play contracts with Bonneville, that they would want this so more people can listen to the broadcast. I figure it is only a matter of time before it happens, but I hope it’s soon before the start of the new baseball season!

 

[DrAkbar]

What, and displace All TMISU, All The Time? Shirley you jest!

 

[EricStein]

KMVP's stance on HD is that whenever there is live play-by-play sports for local teams, they turn off the HD delay (even when they're playing AWAY, for some strange reason), and sometimes this includes shutting off the HD signal completely. That's what I think their reasoning is for not having an HD2 on 98.7.

 

[asugeorge1]

KMVP's stance on HD is that whenever there is live play-by-play sports for local teams, they turn off the HD delay (even when they're playing AWAY, for some strange reason), and sometimes this includes shutting off the HD signal completely. That's what I think their reasoning is for not having an HD2 on 98.7.

That is a good rationale, but yet Bonneville does have both of their AM sports outlets on their respective FM sister station HD-2 subchannels in both Seattle and Denver where they also own the play by play rights to teams. For example, in Seattle, Washington, KIRO 97.3 FM has a simulcast of their sports station, KIRO 710 AM, on 97.3 HD-2. KIRO 710 AM airs the play-by-play of both the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners. In Denver, Colorado, Bonneville has all-sports KKFN 104.3 FM and they also have a simulcast of their sister station, ESPN Denver AM 1600, on 104.3 FM HD-2. So Bonneville has shown a willingness to at least put their all sports AM stations on their respective FM counterpart HD-2 subchannels. If Bonneville continues to insist on turning off their HD for all play-by-play games (for whatever reason since users themselves could turn HD off manually if there was a delay issue), maybe a better place would be to put KTAR AM 620 on KTAR 92.3 FM HD-3?