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October 6, 2025 5:05 pm  #1


What Does The World's All Digital Only AM Station Sound Like?

It's called WSHE and it's located in Frederick, Maryland at 820 on the AM dial. It stands out because it's apparently the only all digital AM station in the world. There is no analogue version and normal radios can't get it. 

So what does it sound like? According to one of my favourite radio writers, in the brief exposure he had to it, he was very impressed with the MA3 standard it uses. 

As he outlines in a column published Monday, he liked what he heard. 

"While faster to decode the digital signal than the the hybrid system currently used by all other HD stations, AM or FM, the lack of an analog component meant that it took a second or so to start hearing music.

The result was worth the wait, however — the sound was every bit as good as FM, perhaps even better, though it was hard to discern in such a small space in a limited time."

You can read the rest of his comments here, although you'll need to scroll down to the final section of the article.

So how does a station almost no one can get make any money? It doesn't. It's an experiment by Hubbard Broadcasting and it carries no ads. 

(Edit: This story isn't exactly correct. Turns out this station is also broadcast on three HD signals in the Washington and Baltimore area - 103.5 FM HD3 Washington, DC, 107.7 FM HD3 Manassas, VA, and 103.9 FM HD3,  Frederick, MD.)

Last edited by RadioActive (October 6, 2025 5:18 pm)

 

October 6, 2025 5:11 pm  #2


Re: What Does The World's All Digital Only AM Station Sound Like?

Curious about this unusual station? You can listen online here. (VPN set to U.S. required.)

     Thread Starter
 

October 6, 2025 6:03 pm  #3


Re: What Does The World's All Digital Only AM Station Sound Like?

It has a low power analog FM, too.

Interesting note about the call-letters WSHE: You'd think those would be on an FM AC station somewhere....and they were. This station's only had them for a year, previously they were on the company's FM in Chicago which for a while was branded as "SHE 100.3" They re-branded last year, so the company "parked" them on this little station so nobody else can have them.

 

October 9, 2025 4:04 am  #4


Re: What Does The World's All Digital Only AM Station Sound Like?

RadioAaron wrote:

It has a low power analog FM, too.

Interesting note about the call-letters WSHE: You'd think those would be on an FM AC station somewhere....and they were. This station's only had them for a year, previously they were on the company's FM in Chicago which for a while was branded as "SHE 100.3" They re-branded last year, so the company "parked" them on this little station so nobody else can have them.

WSHE-FM was also once a popular radio station in Miami. They were located at 103.5 then moved to 105.5. Not entirely sure why, but they couldn’t get approval from the FCC to continue, and now they have an Internet only site – where they still use the WSHE call letters.

From their website:

“We Were Denied a Class B From The FCC, Continued To Broadcast As Long As We Were Legally Able Before Moving To The Internet.”

I don’t remember when I got the T-shirt below, but it’s from their original station using their long time slogan, “SHE’s only rock and roll."

     Thread Starter