Crawford to Accelerate HD Radio Rollout; Will Multicast in Fall

Is momentum gathering for FM stations to begin multicasting?
Crawford Broadcasting says it is speeding up its HD Radio conversions to within three years. In making that announcement, it also said it plans to divvy up all of its FM digital signals into multiple channels this fall.
Crawford expects to start multicast tests in key markets soon.
Five of its FM stations are broadcasting analog/digital signals now: WMUZ, Detroit; WPTR in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, N.Y. market; WPWX and WSRB, Chicago; and WYRB, Genoa, Ill.
IBOC conversions also are underway in Buffalo and Rochester, N.Y., as well as Birmingham, Ala. These conversions are slated to be completed this month, with three Denver AMs to be done this fall.
In a statement, Crawford DOE Cris Alexander said the company had been pleased with its early IBOC experiences and believes “free, local and digital-quality content is how we will successfully compete with space-based broadcasting.” Alexander is also a contributor to Radio World.
Ibiquity President/CEO Robert Struble cited Crawford as instrumental in pioneering early digital radio efforts in Detroit and Chicago.