Mazda Drivers In Seattle Are Listening To KUOW... Whether They Want To Or Not

Dashing

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON noncommercial News-Talk KUOW/SEATTLE is on local MAZDA drivers' dashboards... whether they want it or not, due, apparently, to a glitch in some models' in-dash entertainment system's software or the station's HD RADIO signal or... well, they don't know exactly why it's happening, but it is, and the station and MAZDA USA are working on a solution.

The symptoms of the problem include that drivers' radios go into a mode of cycling through options while playing KUOW, and a reboot leaves listeners with KUOW as the only option, overriding navigation and Bluetooth and every other service other than volume adjustment. The station reports that MAZDA dealers have been flooded with calls for weeks; a spokesperson for KUOW said that the company is working with XPERI to investigate whether the station's HD signal is the issue, while dealers said that a replacement part might be available in a few weeks.

A statement from the station read:

"KUOW is aware of an apparent issue between our signal and some MAZDA infotainment systems, causing radios to reboot when they connect to KUOW’s 94.9 FM signal. We have been in contact with XPERI, the company who owns the technology behind HD RADIO, and have given them complete access to our transmitters to investigate what is causing this issue. Our operations team is doing everything they can to support them in finding a quick resolution. We also appreciate the assistance of listeners who helped alert KUOW to this issue and have provided additional information to aid the investigation."

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