NWPR completes digital upgrade of KWSU-AM

PULLMAN – Northwest Public Radio, the public radio service of Washington State University, has announced a major upgrade of its KWSU-AM (1250) station with the installation of a new digital transmitter.

One of the first radio stations in the Northwest when it went on the air in 1922, KWSU-AM now becomes the second Washington radio station east of the Cascades to enter the age of digital broadcasting through adoption of the latest HD Radio™ technology. The region’s first digital radio transmitter upgrade was completed late last year by NWPR at its Yakima station, KNWY-FM.

KWSU-AM will now broadcast both digital and analog signals from its 1250 location on the radio dial. Listeners equipped with HD Radio-compatible receivers will now enjoy FM-quality sound, while those without HD radios will continue to receive KWSU-AM’s familiar analog broadcast.

KWSU is the flagship station for NWPR’s “NPR News” service, which offers a variety of news, talk and information programs from National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and American Public Media. Among the programs heard on the service are Morning Edition, All Things Considered, The Diane Rehm Show, Day to Day, Talk of the Nation, The World Marketplace, Weekend America and Whad’Ya Know. A full schedule is available Online at www.nwpr.org.

Digital HD Radio technology was developed by iBiquity Digital Corporation and is the only digital broadcast system approved by the Federal Communications Commission for AM and FM broadcasting in the United States. It works by transmitting digital audio and data in tandem with existing AM and FM analog signals. In much the same manner as for CD’s, DVD’s, cameras,
and cell phones, digital technology advances are now creating new opportunities for AM and FM radio.

To learn more about HD Radio, including information on HD compatible receivers, go to either www.hdradio.com or www.nwpr.org.