Here's something else neat about
HD Radio. Currently, more than 300 HD Radio stations offer HD2 multicasting, which enables them to offer two to three additional channels above and beyond their main analog and digital channels. That's right, with
HD Radio you can get two -- or even three -- stations instead of one.
FM
HD Radio channels have 150 kilobits per second (kps) of bandwidth available. Of this total, 96 kps is typically allocated for digital audio programming; the remainder is used for text services. This 96 kps bit rate can be carved into multiple program streams, which enables broadcasts to offer additional programming choices.
For example, National Public Radio is offering its member stations several programmed music formats for their multicasting channels, including classical, jazz, electronica, adult album alternative, and folk. And the big Clear Channel chain is offering HD2 multicasts at more than 100 of its FM stations, in a range of diverse formats. (For example, Clear Channel's WKTU-FM offers New York City's only country station on its HD2 channel.)
