With a flip of the switch, WIYY-FM 97.9 (98 Rock) in Baltimore, Md., made history recently as the 1,000th station in the United States to broadcast with digital HD Radio technology.
“In just over a year, the number of HD Radio stations on the air has nearly doubled, and we expect to finish 2006 with 1,200 stations,” says Robert Struble, President and CEO of iBiquity Digital Corporation, developers and licensors of HD Radio technology. “Equally exciting is the corresponding growth in HD2 multicasting, which provides listeners with increased content and program choices, and the rapid influx of new HD Radio receivers, that expands the range of product categories and price points. From a consumer standpoint, there has never been a better time to experience HD Radio.”
HD Radio technology transmits digital audio and data alongside existing AM and FM analog signals, allowing listeners with HD Radio receivers to enjoy dramatically improved sound quality, with virtually none of the static or hiss often associated with analog radio. FM broadcasters across the country are also using HD Radio multicasting capabilities to increase the range of content on the radio with new channels of programming that include formats such as: Deep Cuts Classic Rock, Female Talk, Classic Jazz, Disco, International Hits, Xtreme Hip Hop, Christian Rock, Hispanic Raggaeton, and in-depth news. Over 400 multicast stations are now on the air, with more rolling out each day.
Comments