HD subchannels

[Jim Hall]

In Andover, I get all the Boston, Manchester, and Worcester HD stations on a folded dipole except for WXKS-FM and WJMN. I'm not sure why those two have never come in, considering their transmitters are in the same place as many of the other transmitters (WXKS-FM on the Pru, and WJMN on 128). I blame it on Clear Channel...hahaha.

Which makes me think of another question: why do stations that were originally licensed to a suburb, but which have moved to the same antenna locations as stations licensed to Boston itself, still identify themselves with the suburban town in which they were originally licensed? For example, when WROR was WKOX-FM with a short tower in Framingham, it made sense that the station was licensed to Framingham. But now that WROR is on the Pru and its studios in Boston, why is it still licensed to Framingham? I can understand why WCRB and WMKK are licensed to Lowell and Lawrence, since their transmitters are separate from the Boston-licensed stations, but why are WROR, WXKS-FM, and WKLB still licensed to suburban towns/cities? I would think it would be harder to sell time on a station that advertisers might perceive as a "rimshot" based on the city of license.

-----Original Message-----
From: boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org [mailto:boston-radio-interest-bounces@tsornin.BostonRadio.org] On Behalf Of Eli Polonsky
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2011 7:19 PM
To: boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org
Subject: HD subchannels

I get WRKO on 107.3 HD3 but if it's also supposed
to be on 97.7 HD3, either it's not on the air yet,
or my receivers aren't decoding it. I get WEEI on
97.7 HD2 and 107.3 HD2, but WRKO on 107.3 HD3 only.

I receive these HD subchannels in Somerville
on various receivers:

88.9  HD2- Broadway, off-Broadway show music
89.7  HD2- //WCRB, HD3-//WCAI
92.9  HD2- "Radio You" (mostly alt. rock)
93.3  HD2- Smooth Jazz
93.7  HD2- "Funkytown" (classic dance/disco)
94.5  HD2- "Old school" Rap/Hip-hop 
96.1  HD2- "Pride Radio" (mostly Hot AC, dance)
96.9  HD2- Irish music
97.7  HD2- //WEEI (not receiving any 97.7 HD3)
98.5  HD2- "WBCN The Rock of Boston", HD3-//WBZ
100.7 HD2- "Mojo" (Blues), HD3-"Free Form WBCN"
102.5 HD2- Classic Country
103.3 HD2- Soft hits, HD3-Christian rock/pop
104.1 HD2- '80s, HD3-"The Sky" (New Age talk)
105.7 HD2- "Nothing But The '70s"
106.7 HD2- Smooth Jazz
107.3 HD2- //WEEI, HD3-//WRKO
107.9 HD2- //WXKS 1200 AM

93.3, 96.1 and 107.3 HD's are difficult to
receive due to distance/signal strength.

104.1 HD3 is difficult to receive due to poor 
decoding. Cuts out while HD1 and HD2 are fine.

EP