Q. What is HD Radio?

A. HD Radio has been described as “the most significant advancement in radio broadcasting since the introduction of FM stereo.”  Instead of relying solely on analog broadcasts, FM and AM stations now also have the ability to broadcast their programs digitally, a change that offers multiple advantages.  

• More Programming Options
• Improved Fidelity
• No Audio Distortion

HD Radio provides better fidelity than AM or FM.  For AM-HD Radio, the difference is striking, though current rules limit digital broadcasts on AM stations to daylight hours.

For FM, the improvement in fidelity is more subtle.  FM-HD Radio's big advantage is its ability to multicast -- that is, to carry more than one program service at the same time on the same frequency.  This provides stations the ability to double the amount of programming offered to listeners who have new HD radios.  

Click here to learn more about the advantages HD Radio will offer.

Q.  How will WMOT take advantage
of the multicasting capability?  

A.  WMOT-FM will broadcast its current programming on analog FM89.5. We are offering that same programming on WMOT- HD1. In the future there will be a separate program service on WMOT-HD2.

Our program service is also available, streamed as they are broadcast, from our web-site. 

 Q.  Will I need to buy a new radio?

A.  To enjoy the benefits of HD Radio, you will need to buy a new radio.  More and more HD radios are coming on the market, and prices are dropping rapidly and some good ones are already available under $200.  

To see the latest HD radio products being offered visit Ibiquity HD radios

Click here for more information on the products currently available.   

If you purchase a new HD radio, you will encounter the realities of digital transmission.  If you have a digital cell phone or one of the new digital television receivers, you know that digital transmission is "brittle."  It's either perfect or not there at all.  There's no gentle fading away as in the case of analog.  Unlike your digital cell phone or digital television, though, the main channel of HD Radio is designed to simulcast the analog programming.  When fading occurs, the digital signal will blend into the analog signal, so you won't lose service.  For the 2nd and 3rd HD Radio channels, however, this will not be available, so you will experience a smaller reliable coverage area for those program services than for the main one.

Q.  If I am satisfied with the current service I receive from WMOT, will I still have to buy a new radio?

A.  No.  The digital program information is embedded within the existing FM signal, so those analog signal will not go away.

Q.  Will I someday be unable to receive WMOT on my present home or car receiver?

Not for a very long time. Rather than issuing a mandate, the federal government is relying on marketplace competition to move the digital radio conversion forward. While it is true that you will need a new radio to benefit from digital radio, your present radios should hold you in good stead for some time to come, since radio stations must continue to offer their existing analog transmission services throughout the conversion. You may find yourself adopting digital radio without trying, through your normal purchases of automobiles or electronic equipment for your home.
 

Q.  Is there a fee for this service as there is for satellite radio?   

A:  No.  The HD-1 and HD-2 services will be free.