Update 10/31/09: Following our original report, CBS Radio has issued a release hyping all of the HD simulcasts we mentioned with the exception of KROQ potentially airing in New York. WFAN will air beginning today on 105.9 WOCL-HD3 Orlando, 94.1 WLLD-HD3 Tampa, and 104.3 WEAT-HD3 West Palm Beach. Additionally, “98.5 The Sports Hub” Boston will air on 96.5 WTIC-FM-HD3 Hartford in a few weeks.
Original Entry 10/29/09: CBS Radio has begun simulcasting a number of stations from other markets on its HD subchannels. In Los Angeles, Country 95.1 KFRG Riverside is now available on 94.7 KTWV-HD3 and Hot AC “Sophie 103.7” KSCF San Diego is heard on 97.1 KAMP-HD2. This has drawn the ire of Saul Levine, owner of “Go Country 105” KKGO Los Angeles as he has filed a complaint with the FCC that CBS is using the HD subchannels as illegal translators to expand the reach of out-of-market stations. We personally think this is a stretch as HD subchannels have limited listener reach and have nowhere been declared as translators.
Regardless it looks as though CBS plans on more out-of-market HD simulcasts. Los Angeles’ 106.7 KROQ is now on in San Diego on 103.7 KSCF-HD2 and could soon be heading to New York based on the registration of kroqnyc.com. Additionally, Sports WFAN New York is heading to three Florida markets where many New Yorkers winter or have relocated. 105.9 WOCL-HD3 Orlando has reportedly already begun simulcasting WFAN and will soon be joined by stations in Tampa and West Palm Beach based on the registrations of WFANOrlando.com, WFANTampa.com, and WFANWestPalm.com.