WFAS-AM Going All-Digital

• Cumulus Media is trying something new and different in the New York area — this week the company announced that it plans to convert the signal of WFAS-AM 1230, licensed to White Plains, NY, to an all-digital HD Radio signal by May 24 of that year. Concurrent with that announcement, the station flipped from Sports-Talk to Talk.

The station announced the news in a message posted to its website that reads, in part: “In October 2020, the FCC adopted a new rule allowing AM radio stations to operate using all-digital broadcast signals. 1230 WFAS-AM, licensed to White Plains, New York, has notified the FCC of its intention to switch from its current analog operation to all-digital beginning on May 24th, 2021. Once WFAS has switched to an all-digital operation, only radios equipped with HD Radio technology will be able to receive and play the station programming. WFAS will no longer be available on analog-only AM radios. Broadcasting in digital will eliminate annoying static and interference, improve the sound quality to equal FM radio and streaming and extend the range for clear reception.”