Beasley Converts First HD-R Station in Philadelphia

Beasley Broadcast Group now has converted 10 stations to HD Radio, including the first to go IBOC in the Philly market, as reported here last month.
In an on-air demonstration on the eve of the NAB Radio Show, the broadcaster and Ibiquity Digital Corp. showcased the digital audio that incorporates Ibiquity’s new codec on WWDB(AM) and WXTU(FM).
“The people who listen to radio will embrace this new technology,” said Chairman/CEO George Beasley.
The company spent roughly $75,000 converting each station for a total of approximately $400,000, said VP/Chief Technology Officer Robert Demuth.
Don Melnyk, DOE for the Philadelphia cluster, said the conversions were “turnkey,” using both Broadcast Electronics and Harris Transmission equipment.
Ibiquity Digital President/CEO Robert Struble said, “We have good reason to be excited about the future of radio. We’re speaking to a new generation of digital kids.”
Beasley said of the AM quality, “AM digital sounds like FM.”
Other stations Beasley has converted include five AMs and one FM in Miami.
Beasly is an Ibiquity investor. The group, founded in 1961, has 26 FMs and 15 AMs in large and mid-size markets.