1 of 1- RadioActive
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IS HD Radio Worth The Expense?
It was supposed to be the future of radio when it was first launched. Now none of the Toronto stations even refer to their HD offerings. Yet there are dozens of AM on FM rebroadcast signals out there, including CFRB, AM640, CHML, CKDO, CFTR and a lot more.
I recall some stations constantly mentioning the new signals back when they first started in the city, piggybacking on the stereo quality of one of their own FM outlets. Which leads to this question, because I honestly don't know: Does HD cost stations anything extra, either in engineering, equipment or in any other way, or is setting it up a one-time expense?
If the former, why are they continuing to support the format when they all but ignore its very existence? If I were a Bell, a Rogers or a Corus, worried about every penny, I'm not sure I'd let these signals exist if almost no one's listening. Unless they cost nothing extra to run, why are they still there?
- RadioAaron
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Re: IS HD Radio Worth The Expense?
There's a small cost to license the technology.
For stations on FCP, they are charged a little extra rent if they have sub-channels.
The real point of HD at this point is it cleans up the primary signals. This is especially useful for stations not on the CN Tower.
For example, for me downtown Z103 has gone from unusable to crystal clear.
- markow202
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Re: IS HD Radio Worth The Expense?
RadioAaron wrote:
There's a small cost to license the technology.
For stations on FCP, they are charged a little extra rent if they have sub-channels.
The real point of HD at this point is it cleans up the primary signals. This is especially useful for stations not on the CN Tower.
For example, for me downtown Z103 has gone from unusable to crystal clear.
I have noticed a much better Z1035 signal in the GTA however I dont have an HD radio im still listening in analog but the signal is better so im wondering how does that work?
- RadioActive
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Re: IS HD Radio Worth The Expense?
But what good is it if they never advertise it or tell listeners it's there? Most of the promo time expended on air is telling people to use their app or listen live online. I haven't heard HD mentioned on any local station anywhere in a year or more.
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Thread Starter- RadioAaron
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Re: IS HD Radio Worth The Expense?
But what good is it if they never advertise it or tell listeners it's there? Most of the promo time expended on air is telling people to use their app or listen live online. I haven't heard HD mentioned on any local station anywhere in a year or more.
If the primary purpose is cleaning up the main signal, they don't need to tell anyone. It just sounds better.
- tvguy
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Re: IS HD Radio Worth The Expense?
In my experience, all vehicle radios and the few portable radios that are out there, lock into the HD signal automatically - that is HD-1 when the signal is strong enough. For those of us who "know" that there are HD2's or HD3's and know how to tune them and store them in "favourites" the HD signal will lock in at the press of a button. But it is lamentable that Zoomer, Rogers and Bell don't bother to promote those HD signals on their AM stations which are rebroadcast on FM HD. I believe that CIRV-FM (REDFM) actively promotes and ID's its HD's on air. Same with "The Region 105.9". But in those cases, there's revenue derived from the parties who use the HD's.