April 25, 2005
KXJZ debuts digital radio in Sacramento
Fans of jazz and public radio news will be the first in the Sacramento area
to enjoy the features of digital radio. KXJZ, the jazz and news station licensed
to Sacramento State and operated by Capital Public Radio, is the first radio
station in the Sacramento area to convert to the new technology, which was
authorized by the Federal Communications Commission in late 2002.
Known popularly as HD Radio, digital radio technology lets listeners with HD
radio receivers hear broadcasts free from static, hiss and pops. In HD, digital
FM broadcasts have the clarity of compact discs, while AM broadcasts have the
sound quality of today's FM broadcasts. Because a digital audio signal carries
much more data than a conventional analog signal, stations like KXJZ can broadcast
more than one programming stream through a second audio channel, as well as
data such as song titles and artist names displayed as text on HD radio receivers.
This enables stations to do more with the frequency they already have.
Most KXJZ listeners won't notice these features right away. The first digital
radio only hit the U.S. market early last year, at a steep price. And with
only one local station currently broadcasting in the format, few listeners
are rushing to upgrade their equipment. Analog radio equipment can receive
a digital signal, although without HD Radio's improved sound quality.
According to Michael Lazar, president and general manager of Capital Public
Radio, which operates six other noncommercial radio stations in Northern California,
being first in the market will give KXJZ a chance to learn about the technology
while consumer demand grows. "By converting only one station to digital radio,
we get a knowledge base before converting our other stations," Lazar says.
Then there are the bragging rights. "We're continuing a tradition of technical
leadership," says Lazar. In 1985, KXPR, Capitol Public Radio's classical station,
was the first station in the area to broadcast music recorded on compact disc.
Converting to digital radio costs between $100,000 and $200,000, far less than
the millions that television stations must spend to upgrade to digital. Capital
Public Radio converted KXJZ to HD radio with help from a matching grant from
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Today, 52 public radio stations throughout
the United States are on the air with HD Radio and another 312 public stations
are planning to convert. Capital Public Radio plans to convert its remaining
six stations to digital by the end of this year.
Sacramento State holds the license for six of Capital Public Radio's seven
stations, including KXJZ and KXPR in Sacramento, KXSR in Groveland, KKTO in
Tahoe City, KXSJ in Sutter and KQNC in Quincy. A seventh Capital Public Radio
station, KUOP, which broadcasts in Stockton, is licensed to the University
of the Pacific.
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