If I recall, I don't think KQFO has any HD capability right now. Much like KWDR claims to have HD to feed 102.3, U-ROCK, and other stations, but doesn't either.
KQFO
does transmit in HD...however, it's only HD1, the station doesn't clip the edges of its audio to accommodate the HD sidebands (so sometimes the station's music will override strong sidebands and prevent a full HD lock), and the HD sidebands don't go out beyond the lower Columbia Basin - yet somehow can be received around Hermiston and above Pendleton. It's been like that for years, even under Alexandra's ownership as 'BOB FM'.
K272ED 102.3 simulcasts KTRI directly, as Tri Country. Jacobs Radio claims to be feeding U-Rock 95.3 via 'KWDR-HD2' though weirdly enough its ID says 'KLKY-HD2'. Neither KTRI or KLKY transmit HD sidebands.
Can any Tri-Cities' HD radiohound explain this observation:
Today I visited the website of Alcon Media, a Spanish-language group owner in that area. Four stations (audio feeds) are listed:
* KQFO La Fiera 100.1. (Pasco WA)
* KZJJ La Ranchera 104.5 (Mesa WA) and 106.9 K295AV
* KYJJ La Gran X 94.1 (Boardman OR) and 104.9 K285FN
* KZLY Radio Lobo 99.5 (Ione OR) and 99.5 K258CN
Supposedly KQFO feeds the translators per Radio-Locator;
*KYJJ audio sent to HD2
*KZJJ audio sent to HD3
The question: So, how is 99.5 K258CN fed? Is KQFO running HD4 now? (KZLY is a little Class C3 that does not reach directly into the Tri-Cities.)
The website is alcon.media and it includes audio. (KYJJ's stream is down however.) I think the Latin Mix programming on KYJJ did not run very long but I could be wrong.
Alcon's site lists their stations correctly. KQFO's HD has had issues for years, with the HD2 and HD3 subchannels being more intermittent.
Prior to about a year ago,
* KQFO-HD2 was Grupera 'Magia 106.9', which fed 106.9 K295AV
* KQFO-HD3 was Spanish Pop 'Fire 104.9', which fed 104.9 K285FN
In 2021, Xana constructed and launched KYJJ which was tacked on with KYOZ out of Spokane as 'Ke Buena' while KZJJ had yet to launch. All three stations were sold in 2022, with KYOZ being purchased by Worship 24/7 while Alcon purchased KYJJ and KZJJ's CP. Once Alcon took over, they launched 'La Ranchera' on KYJJ, and launched KZJJ shortly thereafter as a simulcast of KYJJ.
Last year, Alcon broke the simulcast, flipping KYJJ to simulcast K285FN and rebranding it 'La Bomba'. A short time after that, they rebranded the stations again to 'La Gran X 94.1/104.9 Latin Mix'. A little while after, I had noticed that K295AV was flipped to a simulcast of KZJJ.
In the meantime, K258CN/KZLY rebranded as 'Radio Lobo'. The two stations have always simulcasted, even before Alcon purchased them. Translators don't necessarily have to rebroadcast stations within the primary's coverage area - that's what boosters are for - plus with KZLY and K258CN both on 99.5, it makes perfect sense for them to simulcast. Although in this case, maybe a booster would have made better sense.
I think with KQFO's HD not in proper working order, Alcon made the logical decision by tacking on 106.9 with KZJJ and 104.9 with KYJJ, so at least the two translators are fed by something, even if they didn't file a change in primary notice.
