Did you know that for every four stations who turn off their HD Radio broadcasting equipment due to issues like budget constraints, reduced coverage or adjacent channel interference, one new HD2 or HD3 multicast channel signs on? It's true! And in my new column we'll bring you the latest on these "stations between the stations" and the hard working people who make them happen.
For instance, here at the HD Radio Rah Rah Association's offices in Washington, DC, we're adjusting our new Microsoft Zune HD prototypes to pick up the signal of WIQA-HD2, the Capital's newest multicast station. They're pumping out "Classic Talk" 24/7. Congratulations to WIQA-HD2 summer intern Jody Valleyam, who has been given the weighty responsibility of making sure the previous day's shows on WIQA's main channel are recorded so that they can be played back 24 hours later on WIQA-HD2. When Jody returns to school full time in the fall, that responsibility will revert to programming assistant LaToya LaLanne, to whom Jody reports.
Across the continent in Richmond, VA, another HD2 channel has signed on. It's CCC's WUNK-FM-HD2, bringing the never-before-heard-in-the-market sounds of Japanese anime soundtracks to Richmond and portions of nearby Petersburg. WUNK-FM weekend personality "Scrapin'" Sammy Chapin has been put in charge of hitting F10 on the HD2 channel's logs. Congratulations, "Scrapin'" Sammy!
Until the next installment, just a reminder to all our merry multicasting mavens out there - don't forget to import those logs! Regardless of what the ratings say, you do have listeners out there, and for those people, dead air equals despair! Ciao for now!
