Spread the Word
There are three ways to listen to WAMU’s Bluegrass Country: on HD radio in Washington DC at 88.5 Channel 2, on FM radio on 105.5 from Reston, VA and online around the world at BluegrassCountry.org.
If you’d like to let your community know about WAMU’s Bluegrass Country, download, print out and post these flyers. Thanks for helping to spread the word!
PDF: Quarter Sheet flyers
PDF: Full Sheet flyer
Bluegrass Country’s HD Radio Service in Washington, DC.
In September 2007 Bluegrass Country began our fulltime radio service on WAMU’s HD channel 2. Bluegrass Country has been available online at BluegrassCountry.org since 2001. WAMU’s Bluegrass Country is among the first in the nation to offer live programming exclusively for HD Radio. WAMU’s Bluegrass Country programs distinct, robust, live-produced, listening alternatives to our diverse constituencies.
- Many car manufacturers are now offering HD radios as standard or optional equipment and after-market HD radios are available for most car models at reasonable prices. The sound quality of our HD channel is outstanding and for listeners who invest in car HD radios multipath fading and distortion that often plagues regular FM listening is a thing of the past.
- For a complete listing of currently available models for portable, automobile and in-home listening, go to HDRadio.com. If you’d like your purchase of an HD Radio to benefit WAMU 88.5, you can purchase it from Amazon.com and a percentage of the sale will benefit the station.
- Online vendors like Crutchfield and Best Buy have a large selection of HD radios and players including the the Insignia Portable HD Radio player.
What is HD Radio?
HD Radio is a groundbreaking digital broadcasting technology that offers the following benefits:
- Crystal clear reception – no static, hissing, popping or fading. The most common form of interference, multipath distortion, occurs when part of a broadcast signal bounces off an object (like a building) and arrives at the receiver a little late – creating noise. HD Radio receivers are designed to sort through the reflected signals and reduce static, hiss, pops and fades.
- Enhanced sound fidelity – CD quality sound. HD Radio offers a higher sound quality. Essentially, FM broadcasts will have the same clarity and depth of Compact Discs.
- Programming metadata – text, images and more. HD Radio screens are significantly larger than typical analog screens and since they are digital they have the ability to display additional text and images. Bluegrass Country will scroll the program and host name, and we are working to devise a system of delivering song information for all BGC programs via HD Radio units as well as computer players.
- Supplemental Audio Channels – multiple programming channels. Using HD Radio technology, a station’s broadcast spectrum or “bandwidth” can be divided up to simultaneously broadcast completely different programming content without losing significant audio quality.
How do I listen to Bluegrass Country on HD Radio?
You will need an HD Radio receiver and to be in the WAMU 88.5
Washington, D.C. listening area. To learn more about the listening area, go to WAMU 88.5 HD Radio FAQ.
What if I live outside the Washington, D.C. metro area?
Bluegrass Country is only available on HD Radio in the D.C. area. Visit HD Radio for a list of HD stations in your area. You can still hear 24-hour bluegrass music here at bluegrasscountry.org, no matter where in the world you are!
