North Carolina Public Station Tests Two Supplemental Audio Channels

WFAE(FM) in Charlotte has conducted a live test of two supplemental audio channels over HD Radio, according to supplier Broadcast Electronics.
The supplier issued a press release quoting NPR VP of Engineering and Operations Mike Starling saying, “This is an important milestone for NPR stations that have multiple programming services in need of an outlet for transmission.”
NPR had conducted lab tests of multiple supplemental audio channels, BE said, but it described this as the first on-air demo of two supplemental channels based on the Tomorrow Radio concept.
The WFAE test used a Broadcast Electronics IDi 20 importer to provision the HD Radio bandwidth required for multicasting the main audio channel and two additional supplemental channels, BE announced. The station’s main HD Radio channel was set at 64 kbps and the two supplemental audio channels at 16 kbps each; listening was done off of a modified Kenwood receiver.
The station is also upgrading its BE AudioVault for compatibility with the ContentDepot system; and it recently acquired a multiple-unit transmission package through S.C.M.S.
Roger Sarow is general manager of WFAE(FM). Jobie Sprinkle is DOE.