Doug Myrland on Digital Radio

Just when you thought the explosion of new consumer audio and video devices and options couldn’t get any more confusing, along comes good old KPBS with yet another reinvention of 21st century technology you didn’t know you needed. Say hello to HD Radio.

You may be scratching your head and wondering, “Is this the same as HDTV? Is this satellite radio?” Well actually, it’s none of the above. So first let’s get a few misconceptions out of the way.

This isn’t high-definition TV. Digital radio is similar to HDTV only in the improved output you will receive. With digital radio, you hear impeccable CD quality sound. No more static.

This isn’t satellite pay radio, either. The new digital radio service is free and broadcasts locally just like the radio you know and love. Better yet, you don’t need a subscription or a satellite antenna – just a new digital radio.

Finally, if you love KPBS Radio, and you also love new technology, the good news is you can have both! You do not have to sacrifice the quality news and information you are accustomed to on KPBS when upgrading to a digital radio. With digital radio, you’ll hear KPBS with a sharp, clear, signal.

Our HD radio signal is on the air right now, thanks to some grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and our hard-working station engineers who recently installed brand-new digital radio transmitters.

So if you buy a new HD radio online or at select local electronics stores, here’s what you can expect: Turn the digital dial to 89.5 FM to hear crystal clear sound coming from your speakers. And it’s the same KPBS Radio programs you know and love. From These Days and Morning Edition to Fresh Air and A Way with Words, it’s the same KPBS lineup from your regular (analog) radio. But wait – there’s more!

In the mood for something different, but still want the same KPBS quality? Digital radio offers something that your regular radio can’t: multi-casting. That means that KPBS Radio, 89.5 FM has the ability to provide more than one channel of programs – all on the same station. So if you’re up for some new and innovative music – with a simple click on your digital dial you can listen to Groove Salad – KPBS’ secondary digital channel. Groove Salad, a 24-hour music station, is a partnership between National Public Radio and Soma FM; and the result is, well, groovy.

KPBS is among only a handful of stations in California that are now multi-casting, but expect other stations to follow suit. That’s because, while still new, digital radio is taking off. By the beginning of 2006 more than 600 stations nationwide added digital broadcasts, and many more will be throughout the year.

If you love radio but aren’t technologically savvy, don’t let the words “digital” and “HD” scare you. This is radio we’re talking about. It’s easy. The new digital receivers have the same look as a normal radio and, better yet, the digital channels have the same frequency. KPBS is still on 89.5 FM in San Diego and on 97.7 FM in Calexico and the Imperial Valley.

The new digital radio is exciting for KPBS because not only will it deliver amazing high fidelity sound, but we can offer more innovative programming like Groove Salad in addition to what we do best on 89.5 FM. And as other broadcasters add channels, you’ll also discover many more listening choices.