12.05.2007
HD radio: a clear difference
 |
When Mike Walker heard about the new digital HD Radio format several years ago, he was intrigued.
“I like to have the newest toy when it comes out,” he said. “And a year ago, I was really anxious to get an HD Radio, but I wasn’t sure.”
Living in Wilkes County in a valley where radio reception from Charlotte and the Greensboro/Winston-Salem area is spotty, he didn’t know if it would work for him.
Then, in the post-Thanksgiving “Black Friday” sale ads last year, he saw a big discount on an HD Radio and decided to take the plunge. He’s happy that he did.
"The thing that surprised me is, I thought FM radio was the gold standard for what radio could sound like,” he said. “But there was a layer of noise on FM I never had noticed before it was missing. (On HD Radio) you can hear the rustling of the paper when the news anchor changes paper, or hear it when he takes a sip of coffee. On a classical station, you can hear the individual instruments. It’s like a layer of gauze has been removed.”
He has become such a fan that he now writes a blog about HD Radio (hearitseeit.blogspot.com).
With all the attention being paid to high-definition television, many people are still unaware of HD Radio. But that is changing, as a growing number of radio stations around the country make the move to HD Radio.
And no, the HD doesn’t stand for “High Definition,” as it does in HDTV; instead, the name stands for “Hybrid Digital,” named because it broadcasts CD-quality digital audio simultaneously with the traditional analog audio. The digital signal goes out on the same frequency as the station’s traditional radio signal. Like HDTV, the signal doesn’t have any static or audio distortion.
The digital signal can also carry text data, such as traffic reports, stock information and information on song titles that come up on the radio. An HD receiver is required to pick up the signal.
Using HD Radio, FM radio stations can simultaneously broadcast one, two or three digital radio stations on a single frequency. In most cases the first channel is a clone of the traditional over-the-air radio station. Other channels, if they are used at all, usually carry more eclectic programming. AM stations can broadcast in HD, but they do not have sufficient bandwidth for multiple stations. FM broadcasts on HD Radio have CD-quality sound, and AM broadcasts have FM-quality sound.
The first HD broadcasts started in 2003, and the number of stations has been growing steadily. There are now more than 1,500 AM and FM stations broadcasting in HD around the country, and more than 700 FM stations offer multiple channels. It is not clear how many listeners HD Radio is drawing, but as prices of HD receivers drop the numbers are expected to grow.
Unlike satellite radio, HD Radio is free once you purchase the radio. Prices for the radios average $150 to $200. A recent search at local stores turned up a few HD Radios at large stores such as Best Buy and Circuit City. Radio Shack did not have any in stock, but they can be special ordered.
According to iBiquity Digital Corporation, the company that developed HD Radio, about 500,000 receivers will have been sold nationwide by the end of 2007.
HD Radio may one day take over the airwaves, the way digital TV will take over analog TV in 2009. But there are no firm plans for a government-mandated transition; currently, this is simply another way for radio stations to reach their audiences.
It costs about $100,000 for each station to upgrade to HD. Right now, to increase awareness and support, stations are encouraged by the HD Digital Radio Alliance - a consortium of companies that own radio stations in about 80 percent of U.S. markets - to run commercial-free programming on their secondary HD channels.
Some radio enthusiasts take issue with the push for HD.
Greg Smith, a radio buff from Maryland, started a blog called “HD Radio Farce” (hdradiofarce.blogspot.com) because he feels that large radio broadcast groups such as Clear Channel and CBS are pushing the HD format. But smaller stations - especially AM stations - can’t afford the upgrade, especially with no return on the investment in the near future.
Plus, he said in an e-mail, HD Radio AM signals from large stations can cause distortion in non-HD AM signals from stations that are close on the dial. In his blog, he is also skeptical about the public’s interest in the format.
“The fact is that we live in a digital world today,” said a spokesperson for the HD Digital Radio Alliance. “Radio is the last medium to not go digital. It’s what consumers expect; they expect their audio to be digital…. It’s something the industry believes will pan out in the future.”
How it works
1. The radio station produces an analog and a digital signal.
2. The digital signal layer is compressed so that it can be bundled with the analog signal. The digital signal can include text, such as song titles.
3. The combined analog and digital signals are transmitted. Radio signals normally bounce off objects, such as buildings, causing static. HD radio receivers are able to deal with this more efficiently, reducing static, pops and hiss.
4. The signals reach the HD receiver. Both broadcasts are free.
Source: HDradio.com
Local HD Stations
Station |
Channel 1 |
Channel 2 |
Other |
| WFDD 88.5 FM | NPR | Classical | Channel 3 coming in January with World Music |
| WGBT 94.5 FM | Spanish Adult Contemporary | Fuerza (Urban Spanish and Latin Pop) | |
| WJMH 102.1 FM | Urban | Old School Hip-Hop | |
| WMAG 99.5 FM | Easy Listening | Smooth Jazz | |
| WMKS 105.7 FM | Urban Adult Contemporary | Classic Funk | |
| WPAW 93.1 FM | 97 Country | Oldies | |
| WQMG 97.1 FM | Urban Adult Contemporary | Urban Gospel | |
| WSMW 98.7 FM | Variety | Deep Tracks | |
| WTQR 104.1 FM | Country | Classic Country | |
| WVBZ 100.3 FM | Rock | B-sides, rarities |