All-classical 99.5 - legal ID's for HD

[Aaron Read]

The rules on ID'ing HD signals are clear as mud.  47 CFR Section 73.1201 
"Station Identification" says...

http://www.hallikainen.com/FccRules/2010/73/1201/

..."A radio station operating in DAB hybrid mode or extended hybrid mode 
shall identify its digital signal, including any free multicast audio 
programming streams, in a manner that appropriately alerts its audience 
to the fact that it is listening to a digital audio broadcast."

(Note: DAB is Digital Audio Broadcasting)

Interestingly, for a while there, legally you were not REQUIRED to 
include any mention of digital broadcasting or HD or whatever in your 
audio stream.  That's because for a time, every single HD receiver made 
had a alphanumeric display that could show SOME indication of receiving 
an HD Radio signal.  That visual cue, in theory, could meet the rule 
above.  Understand that my theory has never been confirmed nor denied by 
FCC personnel in any official capacity.

I'm not 100% positive anymore that all the HD radios on the market have 
that visual indication; there's been too many new models for me to keep 
track of them all.  I think they all do but unless 100% of them do it 
you it won't meet the rule.

If WBUR and WUMB truly are not including some mention of the HD in their 
legal ID's, they're probably not really meeting 73.1201.  Probably.  Or 
maybe they are.  Depends on what else they're running for programming 
near the top of the hour.  Like I said, it's all clear as mud.

FWIW, at WEOS our standard 15 second legal ID's at the top of every hour 
all say "89.7FM-HD, WEOS, Geneva" and "90.3FM-HD, W212BA, Geneva".  It 
ain't much, but it should be sufficient.

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron Read                  |  Finger Lakes Public Radio
friedbagels@gmail.com       |  General Manager (WEOS & WHWS-LP)
Geneva, NY 14456            |  www.weos.org / www.whws.fm

The fact that HD wasn't mentioned in the WCRB ID
does not necessarily mean that they aren't now
broadcasting in HD. I'm not sure what the legal
policy is, but some stations that broadcast in
HD (but have no additional multicast channels)
don't mention HD in their ID's. WBUR and WUMB
both broadcast in HD, but there is no mention
of it in their ID's.

I heard WCRB in HD, while still in their old
configuration, this past weekend.

EP