Station ID Question

[ai4i]

But but but...what if the HD-2, 3, etc. is running something other than clear audio?
Paging, subscription sporting events, radio reader service, even meter reading?
Would an ID need to be clear, or could it go along with the format of program being transmitted?
I do not know whether such a limited access transmission would be recognized as silence by my receiver, or if it would not detect it @ all.

[DavidEduardo]

But but but...what if the HD-2, 3, etc. is running something other than clear audio?
Paging, subscription sporting events, radio reader service, even meter reading?

Are any of those things being done using an HD-2 or beyond?

[Zach]

But but but...what if the HD-2, 3, etc. is running something other than clear audio?
Paging, subscription sporting events, radio reader service, even meter reading?

Are any of those things being done using an HD-2 or beyond?

My local NPR affiliate for Pensacola runs radio reading service on their HD-3 and it's quite interesting.  They started it up after the public radio station in Mobile was bought by an out of town University, who killed the reading service for lack of funding.  I've never heard subscription or paging on HD channels.

[ai4i]

Local newspapers and other sources might eventually require the station to limit access to authorized recipients.
DE, they could be going on all around me, but if my radio skips over them, I would never know it.

[JohnnyElectron]

I don't understand why the local AM "hides" its FM HD simulcast with a 'fast as you can say-it' at a low volume for the TOH ID.
ie: "News/Talk 1370, WSPD Toledo (then speeded-up low volume out-of phase voice: WRVF-HD2 Toledo)".  Why wouldn't you give it the same 'glory' as your heritage ID and let people know about it.
Likewise, the 1kw graveyard has an FM simulcast on a 50KW HD-2, but doesn't hide their FM HD2 ID, despite both being Clear Channel stations.

Unfortunately, they've not made it worth their while to provide stereo audio on the FM HD-2 despite much of the weekend programming being brokered music programs that could sound really good, and a great way to show-off HD radio.
 

[Darth_vader]

"My local NPR affiliate for Pensacola runs radio reading service on their HD-3 and it's quite interesting.  They started it up after the public radio station in Mobile was bought by an out of town University, who killed the reading service for lack of funding."

OPB did that with Golden Hours for about a year, around 5-6 years back. (I'd even commented on that in my "MotoMuzak" days here, as a matter of fact.) I think it was because the DVS tracks they were running on the SAP channel for a number of their TV programmes was interrupting the Golden Hours schedule, and people were getting fed up with it. Hopefully someone'll pick it up again, since in 2008 OPB killed the radio reading service for lack of management staff capable of making intelligent decisions that actually are in the public's best interest.

[Savage]

Incredibly, my information is that some local station managers - resentful of having HD rammed down their gullets by corporate - "hide" the presence of IBOC channels or otherwise thwart HD for a variety of reasons.  One is that they don't want to encourage possible fragmentation of the main-channel audience (local sales management doesn't want to lose a SINGLE listener or a SINGLE quarter-hour to anyone, let alone their own subchannel.)  Another is that they don't want to attract too much attention to the subs because they don't have the manpower to properly maintain them, so they don't want to have any audience which will complain when the channel screws up.  A corollary is they don't want to spend time fielding complaints about bad HD-2 coverage.

And then there are those who just plain hate the system, its expense and endless resource diversion, so they actually try to set it up for failure.  I personally know of a big-signal FM where the HD-2 was modulated about 10% compared with the main channel and had an objectionably loud 60 Hz hum for over a year.  No effort was made to correct it.  It was on the air solely to comply with a corporate mandate.  I heard of another sub with no programming on it for months.  It was just "there."

[mmnassour]

While I don't think I would sabotage my own station , everything in your first paragraph makes perfect sense to me.  I can completely understand why a GM would feel that way.  And if he/she has the impression from their immediate supervisor at corporate that HD is not that big a deal, then, heck yea, de-emphasize the thing.

All it does is increase costs and deliver zero listeners.

[Barry]

It is odd that stations run zillions of spots promoting HD radio in general, but almost never mention their own HD2/HD3 subchannels.
A listener considering the purchase of an HD radio would have little idea what additional programming could be heard in their area.
BTW, it is now two weeks that Clear Channel's WWPR has been running an open carrier on its HD2, as the ethnic broadcaster that leased the channel (mentioned in the original post) is apparently having difficulty paying its bills.

[ai4i]

Thought I had posted this a few days ago, but was in a hurry and likely hit "preview" in lieu of "post".

Are any of those things being done using an HD-2 or beyond?

Maybe??
Could be happening all around me.
How would I ever know?