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Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
While almost everyone here knows about HD Radio, one American radio executive wonders if it's worth the bother and expense. He notes many stations in his home state of Kentucky have turned off their sub-signals - including his own station group - because not enough people are listening.
Even worse, most say they've never even heard of HD Radio.
"I consistently argued that few listeners actually tuned in via HD Radio. Standalone HD radios are extremely difficult to purchase, and although many new cars now include them, well under half of vehicles on the road in our market are equipped. Even when drivers have an HD Radio receiver, they often don’t know it — or don’t realize when they are listening in HD.
Early on, I even encountered car dealers who would disable HD in new vehicles because customers returned complaining of reception dropouts caused by time alignment issues. In such cases, it is unlikely those listeners ever turned the feature back on."
Personally, HD is one of the few things I actually like about my still relatively new car. But I admit I could live without it if it wasn't there, as long as the stations I listen to are available elsewhere.
It doesn't help that stations have all but abandoned even mentioning that it exists. How is the general public supposed to know it's there if no one tells them?
Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
- torontostan
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
The HD radio product should've used out-of-allocation virtual channels not dissimilar to DTV, so that HD channels were mapped to say "108.5" but in reality be coming from 92.5-HD-2, which is a mouthful to say and explain. If you scrolled up to 107.9 and couldn't go any further, you'd know that you don't have an HD radio. If you do have an HD radio, it would switch from analogue to digital past 107.9. Just my two cents..... or you know, DAB....
- RadioAaron
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
100% agree on the virtual frequency mapping. "There's a kick-ass rock station at 108.5, you just need a newer radio that can go that high" is much better messaging, and actually makes it sound kind of exciting.
- Scarboroughbluffsradiof99
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
I listen to HD radio on an HD radio.
But, your idea is much better and almost dablike.
It would make room for more ethnic groups such as bangladeshi, polish, ukrainian, arabic, and caribbians to have there own single language and singal culture stations and new formats to launch and old ones to come back such as 2000s hits, soft ac/easy listening, smooth jazz, mettal, and standup commedy.
If hd radio was used like this, toronto would probably have an all old time radio station.
The CRTC should of just invested in DAB when it was implimented.
For example, CHFI would have stations like CHFI light, CHFI oldies, and CHFI instrumental.
- Paul Jeffries
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
I suspect if asked, a lot of people would probably think HD radio is High definition radio.
PJ
ClassicHitsOnline.com...The place where all the cool tunes hang out!
- Evuguy
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
Long thought of it as Highly Doubious...
I have a table top that has HD, so I'm forced to listen to the HD1 streams whenever it detects HD. Otherwise, I still find myself listening to the Toronto AM stations on AM, since it has good AM reception and the noise level is low where I live. I get CIAO 530 in HD.
- RadioAaron
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Evuguy wrote:
Long thought of it as Highly Doubious...
I have a table top that has HD, so I'm forced to listen to the HD1 streams whenever it detects HD. Otherwise, I still find myself listening to the Toronto AM stations on AM, since it has good AM reception and the noise level is low where I live. I get CIAO 530 in HD.
I do actually prefer the sound of AM stations on AM itself rather than the low bitrate sub-channels. In the downtown condo though, AM is impossible.
- turkeytop
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
Not much HD available here in London. I have a HD radio that stays at our place in Florida. When I first got it I was disappointed. Most of the secondary HD channels are just more of the same stuff that's available on non-HD radio.
After all is said and done, more is usually said than done.
- Shorty Wave
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
A few years ago I was given an HD radio for Christmas, I was actually excited about it! However, after struggling (!) with it for a few days, I kind of gave up on it as it seemed to have issues locking in on what I had pre-set. I keep meaning to revisit it, especially after listening to DAB on a recent UK trip.
- RadioActive
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
A few years ago I was given an HD radio for Christmas, I was actually excited about it! However, after struggling (!) with it for a few days, I kind of gave up on it as it seemed to have issues locking in on what I had pre-set. I keep meaning to revisit it, especially after listening to DAB on a recent UK trip.
On that subject and having never heard it, what did you think of DAB? How was the sound and were there any reception issues? Do they still I.D. themselves by frequency and what is the tuning like? Dumb questions, but I've never seen a receiver.
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Thread Starter- radiokid
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
Many reasons HD is not taking off as it should have.
1. Lack of adventure by broadcasters. You need to put unique programming people are not already getting on the HD2,3 and 4 channels and promote it. Just putting on what you already offer isn't going to work, especially if you don't promote it.
2. Lack of push by broadcasters to ensure all radios can get HD signals that are sold and in all cars. It's getting better in cars, but still lacks availability.
3. Complicated. HD1 is easy to understand.. It just flips over from analog to digital and most people don't even know. AM stations are the most complicated because most broadcasters are putting their AM's on their FM sister stations instead of upgrading their AM plant to HD. AM has the biggest ability to grow with HD, if it's put on their own frequency... OR by use of a virtual channel placement like DTV has done.
4. ZERO promotion of it. How do you get people there if you don't talk about it?
5. No Ratings being done of HD vs Analog. Really not sure how we even know how many are listening to HD vs Analog because there is no ratings being done to track it between them in Canada. I have a feeling people are listening to HD and have no clue. It's time ratings are split between analog and HD to really know what listeners are doing.
6. Forced move to digital. Only after radios are everywhere... like Digital OTA tv, there need to be a move to digital only broadcast. This is years down the road at this point due to the lack of industry moves to make HD worth it. If EV's keep dropping AM, HD will be needed!
DAB is dead in Canada due to major mistakes made with the platform, and to have our neighbours to the south using HD, it really wasn't a great move... well perhaps now with less traveling to the US perhaps it doesn't matter.
Streaming is still too complicated for most people in the car... I really stand by the point I think unless it becomes like radio is now... when I turn on the radio for news/traffic etc I don't want to play with anything.. I want to press a button and go.
- mjf
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
In the downtown condo though, AM is impossible.
I work downtown and on the rare occasions when I drive in, I have to listen to 680 News in HD. Driving under the streetcar wires destroys AM reception.
- mjf
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Streaming is still too complicated for most people in the car... I really stand by the point I think unless it becomes like radio is now... when I turn on the radio for news/traffic etc I don't want to play with anything.. I want to press a button and go.
I have to disagree. With Apple CarPlay, or Android Auto, streaming is super easy. It can all be controlled by voice if you don't want to play with buttons. You ask for a song, album or playlist and it plays. Easy peasy. The abundance of larger data plans now makes it even more attractive. You can use an app like TuneIn to listen to real radio stations too. I use Spotify and when I start up the car, it just continues playing whatever I was last listening to.
- Fitz
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
A few years ago I was given an HD radio for Christmas, I was actually excited about it! However, after struggling (!) with it for a few days, I kind of gave up on it as it seemed to have issues locking in on what I had pre-set. I keep meaning to revisit it, especially after listening to DAB on a recent UK trip.
May depend on the type of HD radio but it could be an antenna problem, Perhaps when you set the presets the atmosphere was able to bring in the signal but under normal conditions no or the antenna needs to be adjusted or it's not the most sensitive radio. Personally I am not a fan of HD - the sub stations mostly sound terrible and the sidebands destroy adjacent stations.
In a city over run by FM HD the Sony tuner pictured below helps with some issues wrought by HD. I have a different version of this unit and I think if I used the preset option I would be able to safely preset every GTA HD station except the Hamilton country station. I only use the radio to DX and it's great for that.
Last edited by Fitz (October 1, 2025 7:50 pm)
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- Evuguy
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
I will say that when tuned to CHFI HD2 (The Rocket) and hearing bands played such as Rammstein, while CHFI still scrolls in the display, is somewhat amusing. Not quite the modern day version of Candlelight and Wine (ugh). I do have to wonder what Ted would have thought? If he was still around, I would suspect HD2 would be playing classical.
- DOPEfm
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
Kick ass rock station on 108.5 FM? I'm going to tune it in. Perhaps it'll be new wave static.😜🤙
100% agree on the virtual frequency mapping. "There's a kick-ass rock station at 108.5, you just need a newer radio that can go that high" is much better messaging, and actually makes it sound kind of exciting.
- Shorty Wave
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
A few years ago I was given an HD radio for Christmas, I was actually excited about it! However, after struggling (!) with it for a few days, I kind of gave up on it as it seemed to have issues locking in on what I had pre-set. I keep meaning to revisit it, especially after listening to DAB on a recent UK trip.
On that subject and having never heard it, what did you think of DAB? How was the sound and were there any reception issues? Do they still I.D. themselves by frequency and what is the tuning like? Dumb questions, but I've never seen a receiver.
I thought DAB sounded like a strong FM signal, fairly rich in general. I listened in a vehicle as well and there the reception was good, it dropped out once on us for a few seconds and that’s about it. I don’t recall how they went about their I.D.s but the tuning was all in presets which took a second to kick in when switching stations. It was pretty much like having SiriusXM I thought, just all with British accents! Definitely a step above regular radio for listening to music to. While we’re at it, the radio over there is pretty good!
- tvguy
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
There are some well produced videos on youtube from the UK about DAB. The radios display "names" of stations such as "smooth". Not call signs or frequencies. This video from 6 years ago shows the (poor) bitrates being used. Although some parts of the UK have been upgraded to DAB+ it is not clear whether broadcasters are using high enough bitrates. The common complaint is that DAB does not "sound" as good as FM - due to low bitrates. There were a number of regional stations on DAB (not on FM) that leveraged national formats. Apparently most of the regional stations have been shut down, so only national feeds are received in those communities.. There are other videos that provide pricing and features of DAB radios. Most ironically are mono, not stereo. Stereo home DAB units are very expensive in the UK...apparently around 400 pounds.
Last edited by tvguy (October 2, 2025 9:21 am)
- Shorty Wave
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
There are some well produced videos on youtube from the UK about DAB. The radios display "names" of stations such as "smooth". Not call signs or frequencies. This video from 6 years ago shows the (poor) bitrates being used. Although some parts of the UK have been upgraded to DAB+ it is not clear whether broadcasters are using high enough bitrates. The common complaint is that DAB does not "sound" as good as FM - due to low bitrates. There were a number of regional stations on DAB (not on FM) that leveraged national formats. Apparently most of the regional stations have been shut down, so only national feeds are received in those communities.. There are other videos that provide pricing and features of DAB radios. Most ironically are mono, not stereo. Stereo home DAB units are very expensive in the UK...apparently around 400 pounds.
I was in and around London, so that was probably why the reception was decent. I’m fairly certain that it was stereo as mono music would stand out to me, could be wrong.
- tvguy
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
Some stations on DAB, according to videos were transmitted only in Mono. If you were listening on a car radio you would have received those channels broadcasting in stereo. Unfortunately it appears that almost all of the radios being marketed for home use are "mono" only, even the Sony brand. In the "top 10 radios" video There are brands we have never seen in N. America "Roberts" - most likely manufactured in Asia and marketed in the UK.
- jon
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
The only HD radio I have ever heard here in Edmonton is KSL-1160 from Salt Lake City. And, even then, it is rare to have KSL's HD "lock in" on an HD radio here. It still misses a lot of the signal it sounds like the audio was recorded in a phone booth.
- RadioActive
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Re: Who Is Listening To HD Radio?
A Michigan letter writer to Radio World suggests HD's future is past, and it's been effectively rejected by both auto companies and a public who is mostly ignorant of its existence. And he suggests reception issues are just one of the other reasons.
"I own two vehicles with HD receivers and have listened to HD subchannels originating from several full power local stations with strong analog signals while driving around town. After two days of enduring dropouts and tweaking my parking location in increments of a few inches to maintain reception, I decided to turn HD off for good."
For HD Radio, the Market Has Already Spoken
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