KOHM is Lubbock's First HD Radio Station

HD Radio provides improved signal quality that is less susceptible to noise and interference.

Radio just became new again.

In many ways, the new HD Radio hybrid signal recently installed at KOHM-FM radio will make history as the first HD radio signal in the area and allow the station to triple broadcast format abilities across the South Plains said Clinton Barrick, director of programming.

The station celebrated the $160,000 improvement during a reception at the KOHM studio on the sixth-floor of Texas Tech Plaza, located at 19th Street and University Avenue.

Barrick said digital radio broadcasting will become the wave of the future. Stations will be able to offer digital radio owners more programming because of the ability to split signals. Stations can have an analog channel and two digital audio channels.

Digital Difference

"It's essentially the equivalent of high-definition television, though HD doesn't stand for high-definition when it comes to radio," Barrick said. "It means we'll have an analog signal as well as digital signals. Digital technology allows us to split the digital bandwidth so we can have up to three signals."

Digital radio owners will be able to pick up the classical music and news programming currently on the air, Barrick said. Once the secondary audio stream premiers, listeners will have a choice of music or news on the same digital frequency.  A tertiary stream could carry ethnic radio broadcasts or additional cultural programs. 

"Instead of an 'either/or' situation, listeners can choose between classical music, news or cultural programs any time they want," Barrick said. "It really opens up the airwaves so that everyone wins."

HD Radio technology enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally – a tremendous technological leap from the analog broadcasts of the past.

• FM stations with CD-quality sound
• AM stations with FM-quality sound
• Crystal-clear reception with no audio distortion

While HD radio technology has been around since 2002 only about 1,300 U.S. radio stations broadcast in HD. Though HD radio reception requires an HD-ready radio, programming is free, unlike satellite radio. Learn more at www.hdradio.com.