Seven Detroit Stations Use BE Gear to Convert to HD Radio

Broadcast Electronics has shipped HD Radio transmitter systems to seven Detroit stations for installation this month. That brings to 10 the number of stations using BE HD Radio transmission equipment in the market.
Clear Channel, Crawford Broadcasting, and Infinity Broadcasting bought B.E. FXi digital FM exciters, FSi10 HD Radio signal generators and HD Radio FMi transmitters for their respective Detroit stations WJLB(FM), WKQI(FM), WMXD(FM), WMUZ(FM), WOMC(FM), and WVMV(FM). Infinity also purchased B.E.’s ASi10 HD Radio signal generator for WXYT(AM), to be used in front of an existing 50kW AM transmitter.
BE states it shipped five of the seven conversion packages within 10 days after order. The company also sent along HD Radio Field Engineer Gil Housewright and BE Senior Design Engineer Jerry Westberg to help install the equipment.
Detroit stations previously equipped with BE HD Radio systems include Clear Channel’s WDTW(FM), Eastern Michigan University’s WEMU(FM) and Greater Media’s WMGC(FM).
Two other Greater Media stations in greater Detroit, WRIF(FM) and WCSX(FM), have BE HD Radio systems on order pending changes to a transmission site, according to BE.
BE supplied the Detroit FMs with FMi transmitters ranging in power from 280 watts to 7kW, accommodating the lower power requirements of separate antenna configurations, as well as the higher power requirements of common amplification of the analog and HD Radio signals.