Clear Channel HD2 Formats in Cleveland and Columbus

Clear Channel has officially announced the HD2 formats that will air on its latest HD Radio stations, and that includes its five Cleveland market outlets.

Here's the list locally:

WAKS-FM - CHR/Pop - All New Hits
WGAR-FM - Country - Classic Country
WMJI-FM - Oldies - 50's and 60's Oldies
WMMS-FM - Rock - Classic Alternative
WMVX-FM - Hot AC - Adult Alternative (AAA)

Not a lot of surprise there, really. "Kiss FM" puts up a "new hits" station. WGAR and WMJI go with older-skewing versions of their over-air formats. WMMS could be competing a little with WXRK/92.3 with an older alt-rock format on its HD2 channel, and WMVX's HD2 channel brings the Triple A format to Cleveland...a format only heard in parts of the area until now out of Akron's WAPS/91.3 "The Summit".

But then again, folks...we're talking HD Radio here. The number of HD Radio listeners in Cleveland can probably be measured in the low three digits, if that. This is all "future" stuff.

As mentioned, these are HD2 formats, which make them digital radio subchannels of the main station. The "HD1" stream for all HD Radio stations will carry a digital simulcast of the analog station.

And, that's about the quickest one of our pieces of speculation has been shot down. So much for a WTAM simulcast on the Clear Channel FMs, eh? As we said, it was just a thought...

Oh, we almost forgot Columbus. (Sorry about that...we're mostly a Northeast Ohio production.) Here's the list there:

WBWR-FM - 80s - Rock/Metal
WCOL-FM - Country - All New Country
WLZT-FM - AC - Love Songs
WNCI-FM - CHR/Pop - All New Hits

The formats can all be heard at Clear Channel's new "Format Lab" website, and the local versions will be added to the Clear Channel HD Radio website when they go live in the various markets. The company says some stations will program the HD2 channels locally, and others will run the version you'll hear on the Format Lab site...