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HD Channels

B

BJSteigner

First with IHeart, now Entercom....

Has anyone had a problem with HD subchannels from both companies?? I can't get the HD subchannels on my radio.
 
I have problems with 103.5 HD3. Reception is very spotty on it. 93.9 HD2 is also toUgh but that’s because WNYC has less power than the others. I wish they could increase the HD power ... the full power nyc stations get 6000 Watts Analog, but only 293 Watts for digital. That makes the HD coverage area significantly less than the analog. The analog stations are geared for a 50 mile coverage area from the Empire State Building but the HD subchannels get unreliable once you are more than 30 miles from the ESB. Are there any plans to increase the power to the digital subchannels to make their coverage comparable to their analog counterparts?
 
A possibility could be main transmitter maintenance at the Empire State Building antenna "farm" (maybe due to the TV repack, for example).

This would mean that stations would be using their backup transmitters (some of which are located at 4 Times Square, for example) which are not equipped with HD.

Of course, there could be many other reasons that the HD subchannels are off the air.
 
pjc1961 said:
A possibility could be main transmitter maintenance at the Empire State Building antenna "farm" (maybe due to the TV repack, for example).

This would mean that stations would be using their backup transmitters (some of which are located at 4 Times Square, for example) which are not equipped with HD.

Of course, there could be many other reasons that the HD subchannels are off the air.
Click to expand...

And to think..I thought I had problems because of the antenna...I could get the regular channels with no problem. Before the problem, the HD channels would pop up...But now I can't and the dealer said there was no problem.

Are the HD channels off or is it my radio??
 
It appears to be an iHeart decision due to the obvious factors: 1) listenership and 2) ad revenue. They've unfortunately discontinued HD broadcasts in multiple cities.

What type of programming would entice listeners as Sirius XM has? Would airing some of their replay channels from their main morning shows? Airing popular podcasts? Without buy-in from the biggest radio operator, HD radio has no chance to survive.
 
sf1pd said:
What type of programming would entice listeners as Sirius XM has? Would airing some of their replay channels from their main morning shows? Airing popular podcasts? Without buy-in from the biggest radio operator, HD radio has no chance to survive.
Click to expand...

The problem is only a small number of people own HD radios. Unless the stations can feed an FM translator, most people can't hear them.

It's not a programming problem, it's a receiver problem.
 
luperm said:
Why bother fussing with a HD radio? Just stream it...much easier.
Click to expand...

HD is really no more difficult than listening to analog FM stations once you get the hang of tuning your particular receiver. Streaming is a bit more intensive, even in newer systems with voice commands or presets.

I'm in the Palm Springs market, and of course I have not driven on every street in this market of a half million population, but I know of at least a dozen locations where my carrier drops out and loses streaming connections and calls.

For many, it's still not a perfectly implemented technology.
 
It's interesting that despite the relatively small audience for HD radio, New York has 3 leased HD channels carrying locally produced Russian programming. Only one of them is feeding a translator. They have personalities, and seem to run plenty of commercials.
Perhaps because many Russian people in this area are doing well, a sizeable portion may have late model cars with HD radios.
 
Barry said:
Russian people in this area are doing well, a sizeable portion may have late model cars with HD radios.
Click to expand...

Not only that, they know if they want to hear certain specialty programming, they have to buy an HD radio. They'd rather do that than stream. People seeking more mainstream programing have other options. Before HD, radio stations had SCAs. They'd lease them out to reading services for the blind. They needed to buy special SCA-capable receivers, and they did in order to hear that programming.
 
bizzle13 said:
What HD stations are left?
Click to expand...

92.3, 93.9, 96.7, 101.1, 102.7, 103.5, 105.9 HD2 and HD3
95.5, 104.3, 105.1, 106.7, 107.5 HD2
93.5, 96.3 HD2, HD3 and HD4
93.1, 94.7, 97.1, 100.3 run HD but have no sub channels.
92.7, 98.7, 99.5, 101.9, 103.9 do not run HD.
 
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