Quincy, IL - Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) took delivery of Broadcast Electronics' new HD Radio system this month, adding to the growing number of public stations converting to second-generation digital radio in 2005. One of the country's preeminent public broadcasters, MPR acquired a Broadcast Electronics FMi 703 transmitter package with HD Radio multicasting capability and optional studio signal generation for its flagship station, KSJN 99.5 FM, serving Minnesota's Twin Cities Metropolitan area.

An identical BE HD Radio system will ship next month for MPR station KNOW 91.1 FM, also serving Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

"Each of our stations is evaluated individually for HD Radio conversion based on facility, signal, and so forth. We're also closely following Tomorrow RadioSM because we expect that to be an important part of HD Radio," said Mike Hendrickson, Chief of Network Engineering responsible for planning and implementing HD Radio for MPR.

Both BE HD Radio systems include BE's IDi 20 importer unit for provisioning the HD Radio bitstream as needed for multicasting more than one Tomorrow Radio channel, plus they come with BE's XPi 10 exporter/signal generator for creating the HD Radio coding at the studio. "We don't have any firm plans yet for Tomorrow Radio, but we made sure our transmitters were equipped for it," added Shane Toven, Chief Engineer for MPR's KSJN 99.5 FM.

The orders were placed in March through John Sims with RF Specialties of Missouri. "There's been a groundswell interest in next-generation HD Radio from public radio, but getting this order from Minnesota Public Radio really put multicasting, data, and other advanced digital features on the map," commented Neil Glassman, BE's Vice President of Strategic Marketing.

KSJN 99.5 FM is expected to turn on HD Radio in June with a high-level combined configuration of the BE FMi 703 transmitter into a master antenna system. HD Radio conversion of KNOW 91.1 FM will soon follow and will be implemented as a separate antenna configuration; the BE FMi 703 transmitter will feed HD Radio directly into the station's auxiliary single-bay antenna. Minnesota Public Radio also ordered BE's new RDi 20 generators for sending data to text-enabled RBDS receivers.

Previously, KPCC in Los Angeles, Calif., installed BE's FMi 201 HD Radio transmitter for low-level combining the FM analog and digital signal. KPCC is operated by Southern California Public Radio, an affiliate of Minnesota Public Radio in the American Public Media Group.

Broadcast Electronics and Minnesota Public Radio conducted initial HD Radio testing of a high-level combined system in 2003.

About Minnesota Public Radio (www.mpr.org)
Minnesota Public Radio® is one of the nation's premier public radio organizations. With headquarters in the heart of downtown St. Paul, Minnesota Public Radio operates a regional network of 37 stations, covering Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Michigan, Iowa and Idaho. MPR's affiliated company, Southern California Public Radio, operates KPCC FM, serving the greater Los Angeles area from studios in Pasadena, California.

About Broadcast Electronics (www.bdcast.com)
Broadcast Electronics (BE) is the premier provider of mission-critical solutions for over-the-air and Internet radio. BE products encompass program generation, audio and data management, inter-facility transport, and analog and digital transmission. For more than four decades, BE pioneering developments have set industry standards for innovation and reliability, while providing broadcasters with new options for operational productivity and income generation. BE is headquartered in Quincy, Illinois, and is represented worldwide by a network of local representatives.
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HD RadioT is a trademark of iBiquity Digital Corp. Tomorrow Radio is a service mark of National Public Radio. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

CONTACT:
Kim Winking
Broadcast Electronics
4100 North 24th Street
Quincy, IL 62305
Phone: 217-224-9600
Fax: 217-224-9607
kwinking@bdcast.com
or
Dee McVicker
Inc. Writer
480.545.7363
deemcv@qwest.net