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WKMS
Begins a New Era: HD Digital Radio
This week WKMS Engineer Allen Fowler switched on the second channel of the HD digital signal at 91.3. A push of a button on digital receivers allows listeners to hear Classical 24, a nationally syndicated classical music service dedicated to live classical music programming. WKMS-HD1 offers the same programs heard on the station's analog signal at 91.3 FM and at www.wkms.org.
WKMS-HD1 signed on the air this spring, funded by a digital conversion grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting matched by listener contributions. Murray State University provided funding for the additional technology required for WKMS-HD2.
With WKMS-HD1 and 2 on the air, WKMS becomes the first HD multi-casting station in the region. The listener supported NPR member station licensed to Murray State University is the public radio service for western Kentucky, northwestern Tennessee and southernmost Illinois from its transmission center in Land Between the Lakes.
"It's going to take a while for digital radio to catch on," says WKMS station manager Kate Lochte. "Engineers estimate that it may be 2009 before there are enough listeners with digital receivers to allow the discontinuation of analog FM. Many even think that forecast may be optimistic." Lochte says that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the U.S. Congress encouraged public radio stations across the nation to begin digital conversion upon adoption of the Ibiquity digital technology.
Keeping the analog FM signal on the air results in the new digital signals being considerably less powerful due to FCC mandates. That means fewer listeners in the region will receive the new services than receive the 37-year-old analog signal. "We knew this going-in" says WKMS program director Mark Welch, "but the potential of the multi-casting service ultimately promises to be the most efficient way to expand public radio programming options in the region."
The station chose to introduce its HD2 signal with Classical 24, a 24 hour daily music service produced by American Public Media and distributed by Public Radio International. Playlists are available at www.classical24.publicradio.org. WKMS anticipates reviewing the schedule on its HD2 signal upon receiving results of a recent survey of its contributing member-listeners. For more information, contact either Kate Lochte or Mark Welch at 800-599-4737 or through wkms@murraystate.edu
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A Promising
Technology:
Not since the introduction of FM radio over 50 years ago, has there been
a technological advancement in radio broadcasting like HD Digital Radio.
HD Digital Radio offers listeners a clearer, more pristine listening experience,
much like that of a compact disc. Though we've grown accustomed to the
hisses, pops and cracks of the FM sound, HD radio serves us with static-free,
crystal-clear reception.
The radio industry is just beginning to adopt HD Digital Radio as a broadcasting
platform, and WKMS is proud to be a regional leader in this exciting technology!
Currently, WKMS is the only radio station with a digital transmitter on
the air in our coverage area. Your support has allowed WKMS to pioneer
throughout our 37 year history. WKMS was the first station in our region
to offer programming received by satellite. WKMS was the first station
in our region to upgrade to digital audio workstations, using computers
rather than tape recorders to produce and playback sound.
Broadcasting an HD Digital signal is an important new technology, because
we know that our listeners expect excellence from WKMS in programming
and signal quality. HD Digital Radio offers the potential for WKMS to
"multi-cast," meaning we can offer more than one stream of programming.
Instead of 24/7, think of it as 48/7! There's enough bandwidth on the
digital signal at 91.3 FM to split this signal into 2 separate channels.
Like other milestones for this station, it was your support in concert
with longstanding support from Murray State University that enabled WKMS
to secure a matching grant from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting
for HD Digital Radio.
An experimental technology:
HD Digital Radio is in its infancy. It was developed by the company called
Ibiquity (see Ibiquity.com
for lots of information). Ibiquity is learning, as more radio stations
build out their HD digital technology, that the digital radio signal is
far more precise than the old analog signals. This means that some WKMS
listeners won't be able to receive WKMS in digital, and we can only predict
generally who those folks are. And that's why the analog signal will continue
to be on the air. See our FAQS sheet for more!
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Going
Digital…FAQS about WKMS HD Digital Radio
WKMS' work
on the tower is complete!
The WKMS digital transmitter is on the air! We're happy to report the
digital sound is crisper, clearer, and well worth the investment it took
to make it happen.
Why is
WKMS going digital?
· The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is encouraging
public radio stations to apply for funding to add digital signals now.
MSU/WKMS received its $85K matching grant in 2005 in just the second round
of conversion projects funded by appropriations from the United States
Congress.
· Murray State University is encouraging WKMS to build out
the supplementary audio channel to increase the diversity of its service
to the region.
· There are no other reasonably affordable alternatives
to increase the diversity of public radio programming for our region.
We would have to build or buy a new station, both options costing too
much and possibly undoable for lack of range.
There are
"growing pains" with innovative technology.
· The FCC set limits on power, so the digital signal isn't
as powerful as the analog signal. Even though the digital signal may have
more CD quality and carry more programming, it may not be strong enough
for many WKMS listeners to pick it up, given the geography of our coverage
area and the distribution of our audience. In other words, what our
coverage area actually is, or will be, is going to take some time to determine.
· There's promising news, though… NPR's engineering
lab has received a one year experimental testing authorization from the
FCC for conducting advanced HD Radio propagation studies to help improve
HD Radio indoor penetration.
· In the meantime, retailers are just now starting to offer
a variety of models of digital radio receivers, so it will take time for
consumers to determine which work best and for prices to come down.
What has
the FCC done for us lately?
In April 2007, the FCC adopted more regulations to govern terrestrial
digital audio broadcasting, the next step in the long-term development
of digital broadcasting for both AM and FM stations, also called HD radio.
In 2002, the Commission selected IBOC ("in-band-on-channel")
technology as the standard system for implementing digital radio. The
system lets stations send both analog and digital program streams in approximately
the same amount of spectrum, and on the same frequencies used for analog-only
operations. The FCC and others involved were predicting coverage at the
allowed power level to be equal to the analog -60 Dbu contour which is
on the FCC site, www.fcc.gov.
As we have heard and read from email lists and other sources, this has
not always turned out to be the case, depending on several different factors.
Since 2002, the FCC has allowed stations to implement digital service,
although many operational rules are not yet determined. More than 1,200
radio stations have notified the Commission they have initiated, or soon
will initiate, digital service. The FCC confirms it does not intend to
mandate a conversion schedule for radio stations to begin digital broadcasting.
Initiating digital service is entirely voluntary. Further, unlike in television,
radio stations are not required to close down their analog operations.
It is anticipated both analog and digital services will continue
indefinitely.
Each station
is required to simulcast its analog programming on a digital signal of
at least comparable audio quality to its analog signal. Stations may choose
to employ their digital capacity to transmit high quality audio, multiple
audio program streams, and/or data casting services. WKMS intends to develop
one additional program stream and research data casting service options.
What can
a listener do to try and get the WKMS HD digital signal?
The FCC map shows what the Commission considers to be the WKMS -60dbu
contour. Ibiquity (see www.ibiquity.com) and the Commission were originally
predicting HD coverage to this contour, but real world experience has
not been consistent.
In all cases,
if an outside antenna is available, reception can be improved. Most anything
available commercially from Radio Shack or TV repair places, like Tucker's
in Murray or Hughes in Paducah, should be fine. They will have to be pointed
toward LBL if directional. Most VHF TV antennas will work as well, since
the FM band is just above the low VHF band. (Be sure, if someone is using
an existing antenna, they do not have an FM trap between the FM receiver
and antenna. Some preamps have them built in.)
Also, the
type of structure can have an effect on reception. Metal buildings are
most definitely going to be a problem. Metal roofs can also be an issue,
even if the walls are not. Buildings with a lot of concrete walls reinforced
with steel may pose a problem, as well. Where the radio is placed in a
room may make a difference-i.e.: place it next to a window, and if possible,
on the side of the house towards the transmitter building. Location is
also a factor. The further you get from the transmitter site, the more
the terrain comes into play.
Keep in mind the digital carrier's ERP is only 1% of the analog carrier.
While the digital signal does not require the same amount of power for
the same coverage as the analog, the current assigned power level may
or may not provide similar coverage. This issue is still being studied
by groups such as Ibiquity, NPR, and others. Also, the lower power will
affect building penetration. We may very well find HD car radios may do
fine in Paducah; for example, while there may not be enough signal to
penetrate the structures very well. Coverage is probably going to be spotty
overall, especially in the lower lying areas along the river.
Which
digital receivers are the most affordable and work the best?
This is new technology for EVERYONE…not just listeners, but for radio
station personnel as well. We do not mean to recommend any particular
digital radio, but to provide you some initial anecdotes about some of
the digital radio receivers available.
We understand that Best Buy and Circuit City in Paducah have the JVC digital
car radios in stock now. Radio Shack in Murray intends to stock a few
of the tabletop models soon.
Accurian
This is a Radio Shack product. It appears to work better than the Boston
Acoustics'. The unit WKMS Engineer Allen Fowler put in at his home in
east Calloway County required the longer antenna wire that came with the
system, but reception has been solid since it was placed. We need further
experience with this radio before we can say more.
Boston Acoustics
One of the first models available, you can find the BAs at various places
online and possibly at Radio Shack and Circuit City locally. (This unit
is on both retailers' websites and may or may not be in the local stores
yet.) We've recently learned the BAs are not very sensitive and perform
much better with an external antenna. In some cases where the listener
either may not want to or cannot install an antenna outside, placing an
antenna in the attic may work (but who wants to do that?). It's probably
a combination of a marginal signal and/or the lack of sensitivity with
the BA radios. The "T" part of the antenna probably should be
spread out straight, but, if it is working, don't move it unless the signal
drops out. The "T" section at the end is really the "antenna,"
with the piece in the middle just being used to connect it to the receiver.
Spreading it out horizontally will make it somewhat directional, and it
can be rotated for best signal strength.
Sangean HDT-1 and 2
There are two models from Sangean, and these appear to only be available
online. Go to www.sangean.com
and click on dealer list to get the web page with places to order. NPR.org
offers this model in the NPR Shop. In fact, this is a great place to learn
even more about digital radio, and it has links to further resources as
well.
HDT-1
WKMS has the HDT-1 tuner in Studio B. So far it has picked up two stations
in HD--WKMS and 102.5 out of Nashville, plus quite a few non-HD signals.
It sounds good, but it does require an external audio amp, connected to
an auxiliary input, on an existing stereo system. The other Sangean model
is an HDR-1. It is a table top radio similar to the Accurian in that it
is self-contained. We have no experience, at this point, with this unit.
www.ibiquity.com
is the MOST COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITE AVAILABLE FOR MORE ABOUT DIGITAL
RADIO. IBIQUITY HOLDS THE LICENSE FOR THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WKMS AND ALL
OTHER STATIONS ARE USING FOR THEIR DIGITAL SIGNAL PROPAGATION.
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