What’s on HD?

Jeff, a reader of this site, contacted me the other day and asked if anybody out there was actually listening to HD radio. He recently bought a new car with the HD technology and has been listening to it regularly. I figure the answer to his question had to be yes, but I myself have only been in one car where it was installed and with a driver who actually listened! So, at Jeff’s request, I am putting a list of HD signals up as a public service. (The info is from hdradio.com). Mind you, not all of our FMs have HD channels.

89.3 – WQED-FM – The main signal is, of course, classical. 89.3-2 is called “The Pittsburgh Concert Channel” featuring recorded-live performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony.

90.5 – WESA – The main signal is NPR and local news. 90.5-2 is “Jazzworks” which I imagine is a tip of the hat to the WDUQ Jazz format that was once on the main signal. 90.5-3 is BBC World Service.

92.9 – WLTJ – has 3 HD channels in addition to the main signal. 92.9-2 features “Q In the City” which, if I recall, was the name of a more urban-heavy format the station played in the evenings early after the format change. 92.9-3 is “Rockin’ Q and 92.9-4 is soft rock, likely the WLTJ format from the “Lite-FM” days.

93.7 – KDKA-FM – with the now 10-year-old Fan sports format on the main signal, 93.7-2 is the simulcast of KDKA-AM (1020). 93.7-3 a constant rota of traffic reports by the Entercom Crew.

94.5 – WWSW-FM – The Classic hits on the main signal are complemented by “Rock n Roll’s Greatest Hits” on 94.5-2

96.1 – WKST-FM – 96.1-2 is Pride Radio.

96.9 – WRRK – Bob really does play anything! on 96.9-2 you can find adult hits and on 96.9-3 you can enjoy AC music on “Bob’s Malt Shop.”

98.3 – WPKV – K-Love remains on the air and EMF’s other major format “Air1” is on 98.3-2.

100.7 – WBZZ – The main channel remains “Star” which was a sister to B94 which was once on 93.7. Given that Entercom owns both, they have an 80’s/90’s flashback channel on 100.7-2 which they call “B94”. There is a 100.7-3 but there doesn’t appear to be functioning right now.

102.5 – WDVE – Since WDVE is the radio home of the Steelers during the season, 102.5-2 has 24/7 Steelers Coverage as “Steelers Nation Radio.”

104.7 – WPGB – 104.7-2 features ESPN sports as a simulcast of sister station 970 WBGG. 970 also has an FX (FM Translator) on 106.3 FM.

105.9 – WXDX – the long-time alternative station features “iHeart 2000s” on 105.9-2

107.9 – WDSY – For some reason, (perhaps because WBZZ is licensed to New Kensington?) 107.9-2 is a simulcast of 100.7 Star. 107.9-2 is a news/talk format as “Channel Q”.

Of course all of the main signals of the stations above are “HD” and they are all FM. But Pittsburgh has one HD AM signal at WPGP (1250). There are no subchannels there, but that seems a little unlikely for AM.