HD2 for KLAC 98.7 and KFI 103.5

[david]

No, HD2 and HD3 programming, on its own, is not driving receiver sales. The only successful HD subchannels are those feeding analog translators in some markets.
Without a significant number of receivers in consumers' hands, there is little to no incentive to do much more than automated jukebox formats on the HD subchannels.
Because of that, it is my opinion (shared by a lot of people in the business) that HD is not going to take off in the foreseeable future, and therefore those subchannels aren't going to be turning up in the ratings anytime soon.

In part I think this aborted take-off is also attributed to the legislated weakness of the HD side channels as well as technical obstacles:
* The HD2 and HD3 channels repeatedly and frequently go silent for seconds at a time, something that does not happen on the main HD1 or analog version of the dial position. I believe HD channels are only allowed to transmit at roughly 10% (?) of their main signal's authorized power. These stations thus have limited reach for distance and arguably unusable signals in their service area due to this intermittent interruption issue.
* Another technical obstacle inhibiting their popularity is the time delay for their signal to come in. With normal FM stations on analog or HD1 you tune to their frequency and immediately they are audible. With HD side channels there is typically a several second delay before they come in.

 

[DavidEduardo]

* The HD2 and HD3 channels repeatedly and frequently go silent for seconds at a time, something that does not happen on the main HD1 or analog version of the dial position. I believe HD channels are only allowed to transmit at roughly 10% (?) of their main signal's authorized power. These stations thus have limited reach for distance and arguably unusable signals in their service area due to this intermittent interruption issue.

There is only one HD signal, with a finite bandwidth. You can divide it up if you like, or use 100% of the bandwidth on the simulcast of the analog signal. If you divide it into more than one channel, the bandwidth is similarly divided, with the result of lower fidelity.

Digital power is not the same as analog power. Using a lower amount of digital power does not mean that the digital signal will cover less.

I don't know about the interruptions. I have experienced dropout under bridges and such on occasion, but never random drops for no apparent reason.

* Another technical obstacle inhibiting their popularity is the time delay for their signal to come in. With normal FM stations on analog or HD1 you tune to their frequency and immediately they are audible. With HD side channels there is typically a several second delay before they come in.

All digital signals buffer. Same as internet streams. Because the delivery path can be erratic, particularly in mobile service, HD keeps a buffer to try to sustain via "catchup" continuity of service.

 

[DaveBayArea]

In part I think this aborted take-off is also attributed to the legislated weakness of the HD side channels as well as technical obstacles:
* The HD2 and HD3 channels repeatedly and frequently go silent for seconds at a time, something that does not happen on the main HD1 or analog version of the dial position. I believe HD channels are only allowed to transmit at roughly 10% (?) of their main signal's authorized power. These stations thus have limited reach for distance and arguably unusable signals in their service area due to this intermittent interruption issue.
* Another technical obstacle inhibiting their popularity is the time delay for their signal to come in. With normal FM stations on analog or HD1 you tune to their frequency and immediately they are audible. With HD side channels there is typically a several second delay before they come in.

The power levels of the HD sidebands are, indeed way less than the analog levels. -14db to -20 (which is 1/100th). But HD can function at a much lower signal level than analog, so you're not comparing apples & apples. But the HD signals occupy the adjacent channel. So, for example, KOST at 103.5 actually transmits their HD carriers at 103.3 and 103.7. Their sidebands occupy the same frequencies as KVYB in Santa Barbara (with 105 KW) and KEGY in San Diego. Both of those signals are strong enough to cause interference to KOST's HD in parts of the LA market, and if KOST were to increase their HD power they would cause interference to those stations in their markets.

Dave B.

 

[K.M. Richards]

But the HD signals occupy the adjacent channel. So, for example, KOST at 103.5 actually transmits their HD carriers at 103.3 and 103.7. Their sidebands occupy the same frequencies as KVYB in Santa Barbara (with 105 KW) and KEGY in San Diego. Both of those signals are strong enough to cause interference to KOST's HD in parts of the LA market, and if KOST were to increase their HD power they would cause interference to those stations in their markets.

What I have found interesting about HD (and I've been reading engineers' opinions of it in publications like Radio World, is that the FCC, which usually clamps down hard on stations creating interference to adjacent-channel stations, apparently doesn't consider those sidebands to be "interference", so the crap continues.

Someone posted somewhere in a thread a prediction that, like AM stereo, HD will die a slow death as the encoding equipment eventually fails, and management decides it is not worth fixing or paying the iBiquity royalties for it, since it generates no revenue. Thus the station count will slowly drop. I can hardly wait.

 

[Brlybones]

Bring back rock nation

Today (8/10/15) iHeart elevated KLAC to 98.7 HD2 displacing the hard rock format there and KFI to 103.5 HD2 displacing the hits of recent decades format that had been there. Now it would be good if the iHeart legal team could get FCC authorization to increase the power of the HD side channels to match their main carrier channels so that these HD options become listenable throughout the DMA.
Thoughts?

If I want to listen to sports talk I will tune into am. I need my Rock Nation in L.A. All other stations are top 40 and play the same songs over and over. My hour commute sucks now

 

[K.M. Richards]

If I want to listen to sports talk I will tune into am. I need my Rock Nation in L.A.

Well, iHeart obviously feels you don't need it. Would you like their phone number to complain?

 

[CaliRadioFan]

Rock Nation is still on the air. They moved the flagship station to KUCD-HD 2 in Pearl City, Hawaii

 

[stewie]

1. almost no hardware to use it outside of car radio.
2. almost no creativity in programming.

I think you nailed it with those two. I own an HD radio myself and continue to be underwhelmed in every market I've been in.

 

[AM FM listener]

I think you nailed it with those two. I own an HD radio myself and continue to be underwhelmed in every market I've been in.

Yeah, I have HD radio at home and in the car and I hardly listen to HD2's or 3's anymore. I had some channels I liked in the past -- e.g., Last FM on 93.1 HD2 -- but, they did not stick around long. So, I have turned to Sirius XM, for which I must pay, to listen to unique programming. I was hoping to get that for free on HD radio. ��