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What's the difference?
- Thread starter 1069_KIFR
- Start date
AM can only carry the main channel in HD with no subchannels, whereas FM can carry multiple subchannels.
That anyone on FM is branding as HD-1, however, is absolutely ridiculous. If you want to promote HD on your main channel, just say "KFRC-FM in HD." Or, more efficiently, "KCBS HD and KFRC-FM HD, San Francisco." You don't see TV stations branding their main channel as "KRON 4.1" or "NBC Bay Area Point One." It's just stupid. Everyone knows that's the main channel. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. On subchannels it makes sense, because your dial position is 106.9 HD-2, so "KFRC-FM HD-2" would be perfectly acceptable. But the main channel shouldn't be getting "HD-1" treatment. It's superfluous, not to mention the fact that nobody knows or cares what HD Radio is to begin with.
That anyone on FM is branding as HD-1, however, is absolutely ridiculous. If you want to promote HD on your main channel, just say "KFRC-FM in HD." Or, more efficiently, "KCBS HD and KFRC-FM HD, San Francisco." You don't see TV stations branding their main channel as "KRON 4.1" or "NBC Bay Area Point One." It's just stupid. Everyone knows that's the main channel. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. On subchannels it makes sense, because your dial position is 106.9 HD-2, so "KFRC-FM HD-2" would be perfectly acceptable. But the main channel shouldn't be getting "HD-1" treatment. It's superfluous, not to mention the fact that nobody knows or cares what HD Radio is to begin with.
Difference in band. The FCC requirement is to ID the HD simulcast cannel withe the analog. Since the FM simulcasts with analog are on HD-1 they ID is correct. MM has nothing but one HD so the number is not required.
read the FCC rule.
Haha! No no NO no no, David, YOU read the FCC rule! Here, I'll even provide it for you (courtesy of rule 07-33):
§ 73.1201 Station Identification. (b) Content. (1) Official station identification shall consist of the station's call letters immediately followed by the community or communities specified in its license as the station's location; Provided, That the name of the licensee, the station's frequency, the station's channel number, as stated on the station's license, and/or the station's network affiliation may be inserted between the call letters and station location. DTV stations, or DAB Stations, choosing to include the station's channel number in the station identification must use the station's major channel number and may distinguish multicast program streams. For example, a DTV station with major channel number 26 may use 26.1 to identify an HDTV program service and 26.2 to identify an SDTV program service. A radio station operating in DAB hybrid mode or extended hybrid mode shall identify its digital signal, including any free multicast audio programming streams, in a manner that appropriately alerts its audience to the fact that it is listening to a digital audio broadcast. No other insertion between the station's call letters and the community or communities specified in its license is permissible.
Notice the use of the word "may." This means that a station may use the subchannel in their legal ID, but they don't have to do so, they simply have to identify that they are, in fact, broadcasting a digital signal. "HD-1" is not necessary.
§ 73.1201 Station Identification. (b) Content. (1) Official station identification shall consist of the station's call letters immediately followed by the community or communities specified in its license as the station's location; Provided, That the name of the licensee, the station's frequency, the station's channel number, as stated on the station's license, and/or the station's network affiliation may be inserted between the call letters and station location. DTV stations, or DAB Stations, choosing to include the station's channel number in the station identification must use the station's major channel number and may distinguish multicast program streams. For example, a DTV station with major channel number 26 may use 26.1 to identify an HDTV program service and 26.2 to identify an SDTV program service. A radio station operating in DAB hybrid mode or extended hybrid mode shall identify its digital signal, including any free multicast audio programming streams, in a manner that appropriately alerts its audience to the fact that it is listening to a digital audio broadcast. No other insertion between the station's call letters and the community or communities specified in its license is permissible.
Notice the use of the word "may." This means that a station may use the subchannel in their legal ID, but they don't have to do so, they simply have to identify that they are, in fact, broadcasting a digital signal. "HD-1" is not necessary.
Well said, I couldn't agree more.
You need to look at who is IDing this way. KCBS 740 radio is a CBS owned station and I believe CBS still has a stake in IBIQUITY,the company behind the AM & FM radio digital standard in the U.S.
IDing this way is all PR . . . especially the use of the letters HD or High Definition. I believe KNX 1070 ( CBS owned ) in LA ID's the same way.
PR to promote the digital standard owned by IBIQUITY.
Make it sound impressive and important,that is what you are hearing.
Al
IDing this way is all PR . . . especially the use of the letters HD or High Definition. I believe KNX 1070 ( CBS owned ) in LA ID's the same way.
PR to promote the digital standard owned by IBIQUITY.
Make it sound impressive and important,that is what you are hearing.
Al
You are interpreting the wrong part of the rule...
"A radio
station operating in DAB hybrid mode
or extended hybrid mode shall identify
its digital signal, including any free
multicast audio programming streams,
in a manner that appropriately alerts
its audience to the fact that it is listening
to a digital audio broadcast. No
other insertion between the station’s
call letters and the community or communities
specified in its license is permissible"
Subchannels are in the television domain in the context of the rule. HD signals do not have channel numbers... TV stations do. Examples would be KABC-TV 7, 7.1, 7.2 etc.
Note that the rule that applies to radio requires an ID of the the digital signal. An AM/HD simulcast would be "KAAM and HD, Yourtown". An FM would be "KAFM and HD-1, Yourtown". An HD-2 or beyond would simply ID as "KAFM-HD-2". Note that the FCC is vague on the exact wording of HD simulcasts but requires an identification of the signal in some fashion... so "KAFM and HD, Yourtown" is likely legal for the HD1 and analog simulcast. And, if KAFM is on 92.3, it could be "KAFM and HD1, channel 222, Jones Broadcasting, Yourtown" and also be legal.
Since the requirement on AM is to simulcast the one and only HD signal with the analog station, the ID must specify calls of the AM plus some fashion of mention of HD right after the AM call and before the optional element in the ID and the COL. On FM, the analog and the HD1 must simulcast, and require the same identification as AM. Independent HD-2 and beyond must separately ID with the analog calls and the channel)
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A bunch of the larger broadcasters contributed some seed capital to iBiquity well over a decade ago when HD was being developed. They did so to insure further development of a digital system. The idea was essentially to show investment banks and venture capital providers that there was backing by the industry.
The investments by the broadcasters were relatively small, and likely have produced neither income nor appreciation. We can think of them almost as "gifts" to encourage a digital technology.
The station in question ID's its HD operation in compliance with the FCC rule on digital broadcast identification.
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