In my latest Chicago Tribune column, I report that the Bears are looking into starting their own radio station via HD Radio. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Phillies already have their stations, and more franchises are expected to jump on board before 2020 with the new technology.

You also can access the column via my Twitter feed at Sherman_Report.

Here’s an excerpt of the column.

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The Bears already have two de facto sports talk stations in town. The daily dissections, not to mention overreactions, drive WSCR-AM 670 and WMVP-AM 1000 during the football season.

Now there’s the prospect of another station. And it will be wall-to-wall Bears because it will be run by the Bears.

Bears President Ted Phillips said the team will explore the possibility of launching its own station via HD Radio. He said it could happen next season, but more likely in 2015.

HD Radio is an emerging technology that is expected to have a dramatic impact on the radio landscape. In essence, participating stations have substations within their frequencies that are broadcast in high definition.

In its deal with WBBM-AM 780 and WCFS-FM 105.9, the team has the rights to use 105.9 HD3 as its own exclusive radio outlet.

“How cool is that?” Phillips said. “I can’t say we will do it next year, but the brainstorming will begin next year. In my mind, we’re probably looking at 2015.”

Currently, the Penguins, Phillies and Cowboys have HD Radio stations. More pro franchises, though, are looking at the option as HD Radio is expected to have greater distribution with manufacturers now making them available in new cars. The technology also allows access via smart phones apps and through the Internet.

The Penguins, who launched first in 2009, have Monday through Friday shows airing from 2-6 p.m. Additional programming includes games from the Penguins’ minor league affiliate; college hockey and flashbacks from classic games. It’s all Penguins, all the time, as the team looks to super serve its core fans.

The Bears would have a similar programming lineup for their HD station. They now are positioned to make a move thanks to the opening of a new multimedia facility at Halas Hall, the most advanced in the NFL. Part of a 40,000-square foot addition, it includes fully operational TV and radio studios.

The Bears already produce several shows for television. An HD station is a natural next step in their bid to generate more original content to satisfy a fan base that can’t get enough football. The question is when, Phillips said.

“The HD penetration still is not that high,” Phillips said. “It’s very labor intensive. We have to make sure it is worth it.”

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