HD Radio Hijacking: When Big Stations Steal Your Frequency

HD radio hijacking happens when a distant station’s digital signal takes over a local frequency the moment that local station’s own HD signal goes dark. Tyler breaks down how this happened to him on his commute, why small and low power FM stations have zero regulatory protection against it, and how outdated FCC rules let bigger broadcasters with more transmitter power dominate the dial. It’s a case study in how spectrum rules built for analog radio quietly favor consolidation over local, independent stations.