Chicago Country Station Goes Multicast

Using technology to make new and more diverse music available to more people is what we’re all about.  So huge Hypebot kudos go to Infinity Broadcasting who are "dividing the frequency of a Chicago radio station into two and using the extra space to air a new station targeting younger listeners," according to the Wall Street Journal.

"Although several public radio stations have embraced the technology, known as multicasting…WUSM is the first commercial station to adopt multicasting full-time. WUSM is one of the nation’s top-rated country music stations and its new sister station, WUSM HD-2, will focus on new country music from existing stars as well as up-and-comers. New high-definition digital radio technology makes the multicasting possible…

"Only Chicago-area listeners who own a high-definition radio will be able to hear the station, and that is a small group… The first table-top models… should be hitting store shelves next month…"

"’If we can make it cooler, hip, (and do) different things in HD, we can attract more younger listeners,’ says Joel Hollander, Infinity’s chief executive. He believes the secondary station will bring in more 18 to 34 year olds, a demographic where radio has lost some ground in recent years."