KRKO(AM), KKXA(AM) Will Test All-Digital HD Radio

Sep 30, 2014 10:00 AM, Doug Irwin, CPBE AMD DRB

EVERETT, WASH.�The Federal Communications Commission has approved experimental test authority for Everett area radio stations KRKO(AM) and KKXA(AM) to serve as the final all-digital test stations out of nine chosen by NAB Labs. The testing will require both radio stations to broadcast their programming utilizing all-digital HD Radio� Technology and temporarily suspend their analog broadcasts for periods of time between October 2 and October 6, 2014. NAB Labs is collecting test data to better understand the performance characteristics of all digital transmissions via AM radio. Results of the tests will be processed and submitted to the Federal Communications Commission in 2015.

Listeners with analog radios will hear silence when tuned to 1380 AM and 1520 AM during test times, but listeners with radios that have HD Radio Technology will hear audio quality similar to that of FM Radio except with no static, and listeners tuned to Classic Country 1520, in particular, will hear stereo separation along with the full audio range of the country music being played. The coverage area of both radio stations, as received on an HD radio, should also increase during the tests, vis-�-vis analog coverage.

According to the Seattle Area Radio Association and Ibiquity Digital Corporation, there are approximately 224,000 HD Radio-equipped vehicles in Seattle and 50% of the new vehicles sold Y-T-D in the Seattle DMA shipped with HD Radios installed. Nationwide, over 20 million receivers are equipped with the new technology, and nearly 40% of new cars delivered in 2014 are equipped with HD Radio receivers.

Listeners with radios capable of receiving HD Radio transmissions are invited to participate; Fox Sports 1380 and Classic Country 1520 are encouraging listeners from Tacoma to Bellingham to tune in to 1380 AM Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and to 1520 AM Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.