iBquity Digital, sole developer and licenser of HD Radio technology in the United States, today announced that as of January 26 700 radio stations had begun broadcasting using the HD Radio format. The latest to flip the switch is Beasley Broadcasting Group’s WXKB-FM.
HD Radio broadcasts, said iBquity, are now being done over both digital AM and FM. These broadcasts include something called HD2 multicasting, which allows radio broadcasters the ability to offer new channels of local programming to supplement their existing formats. In the HD2 broadcasting arena, iBquity expects the number of stations taking advantage of this technology to more than double over the 250 mark.
“As a result of broadcasters converting stations at a pace of more than one per day, 6 in 10 Americans now have access to HD Radio broadcasts,” said Robert Struble, president and CEO of iBiquity Digital Corporation, developers of HD Radio technology in a statement. “We expect the growth of HD Radio to accelerate as more listeners look to take advantage of the benefits of digital AM and FM broadcasting, which include dramatically improved sound quality, innovative content, continued access to local news and information, and no subscription fees.
