WHYY Arts and Information HD Radio Channel

Experience: The WHYY Arts & Information Service features classical music and news from around the world in CD-quality sound...

WHYY has launched a second radio channel called Experience: The WHYY Arts & Information Service, the region's first HD Radio channel devoted to arts, news and information programming. The non-fee, commercial-free channel can be heard on HD Radio receivers available now. The service can also be heard on the Internet at www.whyy.org. WHYY's HD signal carries 91FM’s existing program schedule, with enhanced digital sound quality.

Experience will include classical music programs such as Performance Today, airing weekdays at 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. The program features classical music concerts from around the world, as well as classical music news, interviews and issues. Sacred Classics, airing Sundays at 8:00 a.m., regularly features masterpieces of choral music spanning the centuries and is hosted by Stephanie Wendt, an accomplished pianist and former student of Philadelphia's Curtis Institute of Music.

Experience: The WHYY Arts & Information Service will also broadcast news and information programs from the BBC World Service, including the global call-in show World Have Your Say, broadcast live each weekday at 1:00 p.m., and Outlook on weekdays at 2:00 p.m. This program explores the events, personalities and issues that affect life around the world.

The channel will also feature Fresh Air First airing weekdays at noon. HD Radio listeners in the Philadelphia region will hear this early broadcast of the popular national show produced by WHYY, which does not air until 3:00 p.m. on 91FM. The complete program schedule for the new channel is available at www.whyy.org.

"The HD Radio platform enables WHYY to extend its reach to deliver the best in arts and culture programming and international news and information," said William J. Marrazzo, WHYY President and CEO.

HD radio allows listeners with an HD Radio tuner to enjoy the benefits of CD-quality sound, improved signal reception and greater programming choices. The digital technology uses the current radio spectrum more efficiently to transmit AM and FM analog signals simultaneously with new, higher-quality digital signals.

These digital signals can carry new programming and data services such as station, song and artist identification, stock and news information, local traffic and weather.

Experience: The WHYY Arts & Information Service will complement WHYY's other electronic platforms, including analog 91FM, analog TV12, WHYY digital television, www.whyy.org and Comcast's On Demand.

"In the last 50 years, there have been four major radio milestones: FM broadcasting in the 50s, stereo in the 70s, Internet radio in the 90s, and in 2005, it's HD Radio," said Marrazzo.

To date, of the 11 stations in the region broadcasting a digital radio signal, WHYY will be the third to broadcast multiple channels. Similarly, of the 111 stations broadcasting a digital radio signal nationally, WHYY will be the 16th to broadcast two digital signals: the current 91FM service and the new arts and information service.

Experience: The WHYY Arts & Information Service was made possible in part by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.