WMNF Goes Digital - HD Radio

What on Earth is HD Radio?

HD means digital radio, instead of your regular AM/FM tuner.

If you’ve got an AM/FM radio, you can hear AM/FM stations.

If you’ve got an HD radio, you can hear even more stations – stations you can only hear with a digital radio. Including WMNF’s HD2 channel with USF’s Bulls Radio, a student-run college station playing all kinds of hip programs. And WMNF’s future HD3 channel, coming next year.

So if you’ve got an HD radio, you can hear the WMNF broadcast you’re used to hearing – plus you can hear completely different programs right next door, at 88.5-2 on your digital radio dial. HD radio folk say it’s like finding hidden stations on your dial – and it is. With an analog radio, you don’t know these other channels are there. With a digital radio, you can tune in.

Digital radio may sound a little crazy, but it already happened to TV this June – when television stations switched to digital and lots of stations added extra side-channels that broadcast different programs than their main channel airs. You have to have a digital converter box, or cable, to get TV channels now.

Radio isn’t a big change like that, but it’s happening. Before too long, every radio that’s made will have HD. Not that long ago, FM was a new thing that no one thought would catch on. Of course now you can’t buy a radio that doesn’t have FM.

The same thing has been happening with HD in the last few years, and WMNF is fortunate to be able to grow with this new technology – as one more way to bring great independent radio to you. On the FM band, WMNF would never be able to afford to buy another frequency in Tampa. We’d never be able to build a whole second (or third) radio station. Digital radio makes that kind of growing possible, and affordable.

It’s a whole new world on 88.5 now, with more than 24 hours a day.

How Do I Find an HD Radio?

It’s easy. You can get one by going through this link, and WMNF will receive a portion of your purchase. Or you can find one locally, at stores that sell radios. There are small portable models, HD for your car or rackmount stereo components – whatever your needs are.

You can also tune in during our fall fund drive, when we’ll be giving HD radios away as thank-you gifts.

Have Questions about Digital Radio?

Send us a note at . Or call 813-238-8001 during business hours.

Got an HD radio and have questions about listening or reception? Check out our HD Listening page for help.

What is Bulls Radio HD-2?

Bulls Radio is the student-run station at the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus. Until now, they’ve only been heard on campus, or on their website.

Because they’re renting our HD2 channel, Bulls Radio now has a digital signal as strong as our own. So students on USF’s St. Pete, Sarasota and Lakeland campuses can finally tune in – and USF Tampa students can listen when they drive off campus.

Bulls Radio is managed and hosted by USF students. They’ve got a great new studio at the heart of USF’s Marshall Student Center. They broadcast music, public affairs and live USF sports events – so alumni and fans of our local college teams can hear the games now.

So tune in to Bulls Radio on WMNF’s HD2, and check out what they offer. You can find BUL’s broadcast schedule on the Bull's Radio website. You can contact Bulls Radio at bullsradio.org.

If you don’t have an HD radio yet, you can explore Bulls Radio online . (Note that USF sports only air on 88.5-2’s digital channel, not on the web.)

College Radio is On The Air

WMNF’s Program Director, Randy Wynne, puts college radio in perspective. . .

College radio has had an important role in America in bringing cutting-edge music to greater attention. Many new bands have been broken first on college radio. And many professional programmers, technicians and announcers started their careers in college radio. Many WMNF hosts got their start as DJs at Bulls Radio.

Staffed largely by students, college stations reflect the interests of a young generation. While the programming is by students, audiences of all ages appreciate having a college radio choice to keep up with the latest music, and activities on the college campus.

Most metropolitan areas have several college radio stations at the non-commercial, left-hand side of the dial. But Tampa has been missing out. In the 1980s, religious stations went after all available non-commercial frequencies - so that WUSF(NPR) and WMNF are the only non-commercial stations in our area that are not religious stations. Several area colleges and universities have campus stations, but broadcasting at such low power that they can only be heard on campus.

Now with the partnership of WMNF and Bulls Radio at the University of South Florida, college radio will be heard throughout the Tampa Bay area on the emerging HD radios. The USF station Bulls Radio is first class college radio, with professional standards. Before now, its signal was restricted to the USF Tampa campus.

Now on WMNF's HD-2 channel, Bulls Radio can be heard throughout WMNF’s listening area. Tampa Bay finally has college radio.