"Telamon" wrote in message
...

I don't think it likely that Anytown USA would support 24 different
formats. Anytown USA may be more diverse than in the past but not to
that extent.

In most cases, we can already quantify the interest in the second tier
formats, and every market has room to have double the FM formats that it
currently has, and all can, if properly done, enough audience to make money.

The losers will be the limited coverage or rimshot FMs, and the AMs trying
to do on of the viable FM formats on the dead band.... those will have to
find something even more niche or disappear.

So, a station puts one of the viable second tier of formats on and
eventually, as the number of radios increases, they start seeing sales
results. It took FM from about 1940 to the mid-70s to be broadly
profitable,
so the wait for HD radios to improve and sell is a small consideration;
many
of the formats themselves will sell HD, such as country in New York... a
format that got a mid-1's share when on a major FM some time ago.

I don't see any radio stations promoting itself in multi-formats.
Currently listeners identify a station with a format.

The HD 2 channels are not identified with the main channel except as "102.9
HD2 is Tejano in Houston" type of IDs.

In my own sector, I can see at least 5 if not 10 missing Hispanic formats
in
LA alone... most of which would be good use of an HD channel.

Good grief there is more then 10? How many Hispanic formats are there?

More than there are in English, as we have the individual music forms of
nearly 20 nations, many of which are viable formats in different markets. An
example would be the Colombian population of Miami, of about 250,000. That
means there is room for both a Vallenato station, a Cumbia station and maybe
a traditional bambuco / folkloric music station, too. In LA, there are
several formats that would appeal only, but strongly, to Central Americans,
as well as Caribbean tropical, Spanish language rock, standards, all
grupera, all-norteña, oldies, 70's ballads, etc. There are 10 for you right
off the top of my head... all have been researched and are known second tier
formats that could get a one to two share on a decent FM... and will grow to
that on HD2's-.

There are already about a dozen Hispanic formats on, including Mexican
tropical, sports, news / talk, adult hits, AC, regional oldies, regional
hardcore, regional Mexican, Spanish CHR, variety, Christian and reggaetón.