HD Radio: Monopoly

"HD Radio: THE IBOC STORY"

"The NAB and BGR infiltrated the National Radio Systems Committee, as radio's right hand made the left one 'officially adopt' IBOC as 'the' digital standard for broadcasting in the US. Competing systems were ignored irrespective of merit. BGR invested heavily in the industry's only digital company, iBiquity. Executives such as CBS' Dan Mason and Glynn Walden were swapped back and forth between iBiquity and CBS; Clear Channel's Jeff Littlejohn and other industry executives appeared on iBiquity's board of directors. Through muscular lobbying of the FCC, iBiquity was granted a monopoly and thereupon decreed a royalty system unprecedented since Western Electric demanded a dollar-a-watt annually from stations using its first AM transmitters in the 1920s... Were you forced to install IBOC-AM by management against your best Professional Judgment?"

http://stopiboc.com/ibocstory.html

"FCC Admits Ignorance on Digital Radio, Adopts Standard Anyway"

"The Commissioners seemed completely unconcerned about the documented evidence illustrating potentially disastrous interference problems with IBOC technology. But the whopper came from the mouth of Michael Copps, who admitted with incredible candor he had no idea what the hell he was unleashing: 'A few questions remain to be settled, including how the IBOC system will function in the real world; what is the potential for and extent of interference that IBOC could cause to existing services; and the technical feasibility of nighttime AM IBOC transmissions'... Everybody involved pretty much admitted from the outset that the digital radio initiative is all about giving the broadcast industry more avenues to make money rather than actually improving radio from the perspective of the listener... Of course, if the hype over going digital is hiding an ulterior motive, like a grab to grant radio stations twice as much bandwidth on the dial, more interference may be a good thing... You can watch and listen to the deed being done at our special report on the IBOC vote."

http://www.diymedia.net/archive/1002.htm#101002

"FCC Releases Unredacted BPL Case Studies after ARRL FOIA Request"

"In its decision, the Court agreed with the ARRL that the FCC had failed to comply with the Administrative Procedure Act (APA)... ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, concluded: 'I am very pleased that the Court saw through the FCC's smoke screen and its withholding of valid engineering data that may contradict their position that the interference potential of BPL to Amateur Radio and public safety communications is minimal.'"

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/05/08/10811/?nc=1


"Campaign Contributors By iBiquity Digital"

Jury $750 06/05/2008 CEA
Jury $500 01/25/2007 CEA
Struble $1,000 02/25/2008 NAB
Struble $1,000 03/09/2007 NAB
Struble $5,000 01/29/2008 CEA
Struble $2,000 03/07/2007 CEA
Struble $2,000 06/24/2008 JOHN D. DINGELL FOR CONGRESS

http://tinyurl.com/a7un4u

"AM/FM’s Competition Increases, but Radio is Innovating"

"Full disclosure: I sit on the Consumer Electronics Association Board of Industry Leaders, so have a (small) vested interest in successful CESs."

http://tinyurl.com/c7lu83

"FCC Investigation by House Subcommittee"

"The Federal Communications Commission is being investigated by the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations prompted by criticisms of the FCC's processes and what Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) described as a breakdown in proper procedure."

http://tinyurl.com/9kuump


“HD Radio on the Offense”

"But after an investigation of HD Radio units, the stations playing HD, and the company that owns the technology; and some interviews with the wonks in DC, it looks like HD Radio is a high-level corporate scam, a huge carny shill... Between the high prices, poor listening options, homogenized content, and a decade and a half of FCC dealings that went into this monopoly, critics are calling the move to digital radio a 'catastrophe' and a 'complete giveaway' to behemoths such as CBS... All the major radio players, such as Clear Channel Communications, are iBiquity investors. Which means Clear Channel is paying itself for the right to broadcast, and every mom-and-pop station that wants to go digital also has pay the big boys. Nice setup!"

http://tinyurl.com/dc3aeg

"Radio: Ponzi's back!"

"In 1918, we had Charles Ponzi. Ninety years later, we have Peter 'Sgt. Bilk-o' Ferrara. Schemes. From Ponzi to HD Radio... To get involved in HD Radio, a company has to invest in, buy the products, and pay licensing fees to become a participant. Right? When someone’s invested in the operation in addition to buying the services, you’ve got a lock. Right?"

http://tinyurl.com/5o3l2m

"Community Radio’s Digital Dilemma"

"Regardless of a country’s licensing regime with regard to access to the airwaves, the wholly proprietary nature of iBiquity’s HD Radio system trumps public authority... a conflict with iBiquity could mean the station’s effective silencing. This is especially important for noncommercial and community radio stations... The average estimated cost per station for the hardware necessary to put an HD Radio signal on the air is about $100,000. This does not include a one-time licensing fee to use the HD Radio software, which ranges from $10,000 to $25,000 per station, and only covers the basic use of the HD Radio mode."

http://diymedia.net/stuff/budapest0508.pdf


"Independent Radio Destroyed By Design"

"Instead of honest competition, they decided they would make the government compel all broadcasters to convert to digital on the existing AM and FM bands. To accomplish this, the NAB plans to double the amount of space on the dial that a station uses, thus jamming the signals of weaker stations next to them on the dial... Grassroots defenders of independent radio have found proof that a new airwaves regulatory plan will jam and eventually destroy the signals of small community, religious, and college radio stations... In addition to eliminating competition, the true financial motive of the digital conversion is the creation of a new largely subscription system, called 'IBOC-DAB'... The real plan is to make their money from selling that remaining space to send wireless data, not for a lively, competitive radio signal."

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2002/03/8188.shtml

"Night of the Bees"

"The signature of AM radio has always been highly reliable and resilient long distance communications. With the advent of HD Radio, AM has been scaled back to a local medium with limited distribution. Shows that enjoyed nearly nationwide coverage, like WSM Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, are being shattered by all the new interference produced by the wideband nature of HD Radio... The effects of HD Radio interference may be the final death blow to struggling small local radio stations trying to compete in very difficult market situations. This noisy hash may extinguish all hope of local stations being heard in the clear ever again."

http://karlzuk.blogspot.com/2007/09/night-of-bees.html

"The Real Story"

"What many forget is that using this much bandwidth has always been permitted within the defined AM channel bandpass of FCC Rules and NRSC mask limits. Ibiquity is very much aware that the digital sidebands contain higher average energy than analog splatter and can become significant interference. Accordingly, it's been proposing more restrictive specifications for the HD Radio transmissions mask that afford much more protection for third adjacent channel stations than currently required under FCC Rule 73.44."

http://www.radioworld.com/section/section/article/1842

"Broadcasters lose in court over low-power FM radio"

"An appeals court has rebuked a bid to stop the FCC from protecting Low Power FM stations from big station signal interference. The next step is getting Congress to green light an expansion of the service... There could be a lot more of these stations on the FM dial, but when the FCC first authorized the service in 2000, the NAB and National Public Radio claimed that they would interfere with full-power signals, and got Congress to force a 'third adjacent rule' on the service. No LPFMs could be licensed within three channels to the left or right of a big signal station, for the most part limiting the concept to less urbanized areas... But whatever happens, Friday's court decision is clearly part of a momentum building towards an expanded LPFM service. Ars asked the NAB for a comment on the ruling. We received no reply."

http://tinyurl.com/pvrznw


"Could EXB Band Be Your New Home?"

"The group says most AMs should move to the new band, where they would operate as FMs on channels of 100 kHz width, enjoy more parity with current FM stations in terms of audio fidelity and gain the ability to go all-digital. AMs could transition to 100 channels and operate in the all-digital mode. In this way, AMs 'can solve the current digital problems they are experiencing, especially at night', the group states. But while most would move, the existing band could, under their plan, also remain populated with clear-channel stations that would enjoy more elbow room. Under the proposal, filed with the FCC in its diversity proceeding (Docket 07-294), the old AM band would be 're-packed.'"

http://radioworld.com/pages/s.0052/t.15575.html

"Radio: This Old Frequency"

"Brilliant. Create a new frequency for what already exists on AM and to the left of the FM dial. Render every existing AM radio extinct. I can visualize hundreds of thousands of consumers rushing out to buy those 'new frequency' radios. Did I already mention HD Radio and how well those sold?"

http://tinyurl.com/3vq6u9


"Rochester Station Says IBOC Interferes"

"Central to this case is whether the alleged interference is within WYSL’s protected contour; the station says it is. CBS-owned WBZ isn’t commenting publicly on the case. The FCC said in its IBOC authorization text this year that interference cases would be handled case-by-case. A commission spokesman told RW then that mitigation in such cases could include the agency telling a station to lower the power level in one or both of digital sidebands, or even turning off the nighttime AM IBOC altogether."

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.9916.html

"Re: Rochester Station Says IBOC Interferes"

"WYSL has filed FIVE separate pleadings including two detailed interference studies, over a period of 19 weeks encompassing a variety of local weather conditions, in all three antenna modes and powers, reply pleadings to two CBS responses (notably thin on data and highly implausible) including scores of field readings and audio recordings on CD. All of WYSL's data is supported by engineering statements from TWO unimpeachable professional radio engineering firms representing many decades of experience, all submitted UNDER OATH. One of these engineers is renowned as an experienced researcher in the development of terrestrial digital radio. All in all, including exhibits, over 100 pages of text and measurement data were filed with the Enforcement Bureau with copies to the Mass Media Bureau. The FCC's response to this mountain of persuasive data? They simply ignored it." Bob Savage, CEO, WYSL

http://tinyurl.com/cdybql


"The Wonderful World of HD Radio"

"Perhaps it is because it is the American Public that has been paying a large portion of the development costs for HD radio? Yup, that is you and I. An FCC filing from North Carolina’s Public Radio Stations cites: Just a few weeks ago, the House Appropriations Committee approved an additional $40 million to assist public radio stations’ transition to HD radio technology.”

http://tinyurl.com/57ksx6

"DEAD AIR: Radio's great leap forward stalling in the Valley"

"KMBH, the National Public Radio affiliate based in Harlingen, switched to HD this year, but the change did not boost its inconsistent analog signal in the upper Valley. Monsignor Pedro Briseño, the manager of the station and its television affiliate, did not return multiple calls and an e-mail requesting comment on the station’s shift. A fundraising campaign on the station asked local listeners to contribute to the upgrade earlier this year, touting the change as a service to listeners that would improve their experience. The station’s business manager said she could not reveal the cost of the upgrade, saying all media requests have to be routed to Briseño. A public information request faxed to the station Monday evening has not yet received a response. Organizations that receive government funding are subject to state and federal open records laws, but have seven business days to respond to information requests."

http://tinyurl.com/6gwdj4

HD Radio: Rollout

"Digital Audio Broadcasting Systems and Their Impact on the Terrestrial Radio Broadcast Service"

"We will not establish a deadline for radio stations to convert to digital broadcasting. Stations may decide if, and when, they will provide digital service to the public. Several reasons support this decision. First, unlike television licensees, radio stations are under no statutory mandate to convert to a digital format. Second, a hard deadline is unnecessary given that DAB uses an in-band technology that does not require the allocation of additional spectrum. Thus, the spectrum reclamation needs that exist for DTV do not exist here. Moreover, there is no evidence in the record that marketplace forces cannot propel the DAB conversion forward, and effective markets tend to provide better solutions than regulatory schemes... We find that such a policy, if adopted now, may have unknown and unintended consequences for a new technology that has yet to be accepted by the public or widely adopted by the broadcast industry."

http://tinyurl.com/mjw588

“Arbitron/Edison study chills the already thin air of HD Radio”

“All you need to know about this research is this: It says relatively few know about HD. It says that number hasn’t gone up. And it implies that folks are aware of what they care about, not vice versa. It also strongly suggests this isn’t going to change any time soon - as in, forever.”

http://www.hear2.com/2008/04/arbitronedison.html

"Will Small Markets Convert to HD Radio? Survey Suggests Not Soon"

"Of the 100, he received 50 surveys back. Of those, only one station had converted to HD-R. Eighty-six percent of the remaining respondents indicated it would be highly unlikely or somewhat unlikely they would convert their stations over the next 12 months, according to his report. Six percent indicated it would be neither likely nor unlikely, and only 6% indicated it would be likely, he told me. Most respondents cited cost as the main factor prohibiting conversion; others felt the technology had been overhyped and that FM analog is good enough in the listeners’ minds, McIntyre says."

http://www.radioworld.com/article/9396

"Editorial: More Than Half Full"

"AM-HD continues to fight uphill... Yet the growth of AM-HD stations coming on the air appears stalled and we hear murmurings about some broadcasters pulling back on AM-HD or wishing to renegotiate their commitments with Ibiquity."

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.13363.html


"They’re turning off HD in Washington, DC"

"Well, this time it’s not an anomaly or a digital exciter glitch—at least not that we can see. For weeks now the Washington, DC market has been turning off its HD Radio signals en masse. There is no longer any station in the market on AM broadcasting in HD. ESPN Deportes Radio/Red Zebra’s 730 WXTR-AM long ago shut off the signal. But now that list includes 630 WMAL (Citadel); 570 WTNT (Clear Channel); Red Zebra’s 980 ESPN Radio; and 1500 WFED-AM (Bonneville). The FM list now includes 106.7 WJFK-FM (CBS Radio); 102.3 WWMJ-FM (Radio One); 104.1 WPRS-FM (Radio One) and 107.7 WWWT-FM (Bonneville)."

http://www.rbr.com/radio/12018.html

"Citadel Re-evaluates AM HD-R Nighttime"

"In response to the lackluster performance, the limited benefit, and various reports of significant interference, Citadel is suspending nighttime AM HD operations at this time. Please reinstate your previous procedures for daytime-only HD operation as soon as possible. The company received interference complaints from listeners and stations on adjacent channels, the latter from both Citadel- and non-Citadel-owned stations in and outside the markets... Listeners who have complained say they hear hiss and adjacent-channel stations say they hear noise on the channel, he said, adding that most of the impacted adjacents are stations Citadel owns."

http://www.rwonline.com/article/7848

"Cox Broadcasting Halts AM IBOC"

"Cox Broadcasting, another of the HD Radio proponents in the broadcast alliance, has discontinued AM HD Radio broadcasting on WSB-AM in Atlanta, Georgia and their other AM radio stations in the chain. This was amid concerns of interference heard using Chrysler automotive stock radios. These wideband car radios detect the outer AM HD Radio sidebands as increased noise to the main channel audio. Cox Broadcasting is making a conscious decision not to allow self-induced interference and reduced audio modulation on their AM stations, when these same stations are already competing to be heard over other increased man-made and natural noise sources."

http://meduci.com


"NAB Radio Show Report"

"There was continued top-down advocacy of HD Radio from David Rehr, but little support from attendees, and even small signs of revolt on the subject. It was good to see the clear disconnect on this issue, as it is forcing radio’s leaders to look more diligently toward viable solutions that fit the demands of today’s consumer, rather than depending on a delegated entity to secure radio’s longevity."

http://tinyurl.com/4ynxyk

"Black Friday for HD Radio"

"Nor was I surprised when Kurt veered left to discuss - and dismiss - HD Radio. What fascinated me was the reaction. Any room full of broadcasters is full of HD radio doubters, nowadays. But the vibe in this room was remarkable for the eye-rolling and audible snickering that greeted virtually any mention of HD."

http://www.hear2.com/2008/03/this-weeks-desp.html

"COMMENT ON HD RADIO"

"I am the Engineering Manager of a Los Angeles area AM & FM combo and have nothing good to say about AM HD Radio and little positive for FM HD. The systems are seriously flawed and cause a host of problems including serious adjacent channel interference. Fundamentally, HD Radio needs to be aborted, and the last thing it needs is a power increase. In its place, at least for FM, I'd deploy FMeXtra because it's a good spectral neighbor and it's inexpensive. It's time we station engineers spoke up despite being muzzled. HD Radio is just plain bad science."

http://www.bext.com/_CGC/2009/cgc894.htm

"A little feedback on HD Radio"

"Is anyone surprised to see stations shutting off their HD signals (12/29/08 RBR #250)? It's a flawed technology designed only to line the pockets of iBiquity. We didn't have to pay Edison to use the incandescent light bulb...we bought the bulbs but didn't have to pay to use them." Maynard Meyer, Chief Engineer/GM KLQP-FM Madison, Minnesota

http://www.rbr.com/features/viewpoints/12024.html


"Heads Roll at iBiquity, Clear Channel"

"This past week iBiquity, HD Radio's proprietor, laid off 20 people. According to Radio World, these are the first bona-fide layoffs at the company since its founding in 2003."

http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0109.htm#012509

"2009 To Bring HD Death Rattles?"

"Thus, if there is any force that might bring down HD Radio, it will be the marketplace... There are several signs that the marketplace is now beginning to act: Stock in publicly-traded radio companies are at all-time lows; most are trading under $1 a share... With the economy in deep recession, and radio companies desperately looking for ways to curb costs, does it seem prudent for any station manager to sink money into a technology that has yet to provide any tangible returns? This is much different from the wait-and-see approach of most stations - the fact that early-adopters of HD may be bailing can't be good."

http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0109.htm#011509

"HD Digital Radio Alliance crash-burns, but won't admit it"

"The story's really summed up in this sentence, that the Alliance's new radio-ad campaign will combat the mistaken perception by many consumers that they already own an HD Radio... The metaphor that comes to mind is that it's like the rats organizing and having a rally as the ship they're on slowly swirls through the whirlpool and into the briny depths."

http://tinyurl.com/cab759


"Sing-a-long to Lyin’ Diane’s HD Radio swan song"

"Enter the huckster, iBiquity President and CEO Bob 'Booble' Struble. Let’s read his 2008 in review: 'Despite the economic downturn, HD Radio technology made significant strides in 2008 with broadcasters, automotive OEMs and receiver manufacturers.'"

http://tinyurl.com/85jd4v

"Have 200 HD Radio stations gone missing?"

"The HD Radio camp is advertising that there are currently over 1,500 radio stations now broadcasting in HD (from its website, to press releases as well as in various other promotions)... but yet only 1,300 have filed with the FCC."

http://tinyurl.com/3yl8ma

HD Radio: Blame-Game

"Radio: High Deception"

"But the best comes at the expense of consultant and paid iBiquity HD Radio shill Fred Jacobs... Here’s a tale of two research studies, one of which vanished into thin air – or at least was thought to. You see, it started when a new 41-question survey about HD Radio from Jacobs for iBiquity was mentioned in a Radio-Info.com forum on October 31. Almost immediately, the original survey vanished and was replaced by this sanitized 16-question version... So who pulled the original HD Radio survey – and why?"

http://tinyurl.com/5taxdz

"IBIQUITY TROLLS FOR VOLUNTEER POLICE FORCE"

"A convenient form with which you can rat out any fellow HD users in your market who aren't properly maintaining their HD broadcasts... Big Brother Bob is watching you, HD broadcasters! As if you needed another reason to toss this junk engineering in the dumpster! Presumably the information gleaned from little weasel snitcher-competitors would fuel warning letters from iBiquity to ITS CUSTOMERS (!) warning that continued 'offenses' could constitute grounds for legal claims for breach of licensing contract... The FUN NEVER STOPS at iBiquity: you can also whine publicly about pervasive nonavailability of HD receivers."

http://tinyurl.com/c8tffx


"The HD Radio Alliance's blame game"

"Welcome to the fantasy world of HD Radio where the alleged 1,700 or so stations broadcasting in a second-rate digital system were just told by the HD Digital Radio Alliance that they will now be on their own. Next year it’ll be up to the stations to do their own creative to supplement the national promo spots they’re committed to run by the Alliance. That’s their way of telling radio, 'Don’t blame us for our failure.'"

http://tinyurl.com/6mng2p

"HD Radio: Shame on You"

"For the record, let it be clear that Mr. Ferrara and his team can likewise be part of the problem... The state of HD affairs is obviously not the fault of the HD Alliance alone, of course. This dreary situation has many fathers, to be sure."

http://www.hear2.com/2007/11/hd-radio-shame.html


"2 and 2 Count on HD Radio"

"Has the financial crisis given HD Radio its second strike in a few months? Let us explain. The first strike for HD Radio was definitely the financial market collapse... The second strike is clearly the collapse of the auto market... Since we are making baseball analogies, we would like to issue two foul balls attributed directly to HD Radio... The first foul ball is for iBiquity releasing an HD Radio solution which broadcasts at too low a power... The second foul ball has to be issued for HD Radio's lackadaisical programming efforts to date... Thus, HD Radio is sitting on a 2-2 count. The two strikes against it are not really its fault, but the two foul balls on meatball pitches are inexcusable."

http://tinyurl.com/5cvgtz

HD Radio: Strategies

"FCC to Consider Raising FM-HD Power Levels"

"Why would radio stations take the risk of degrading the quality of their existing analog service in order to pimp a flawed technology which nobody's listening to? It's almost as if the strategy of the HD Radio Alliance is to degrade analog radio service in order to force digital adoption - kind of a variant on the 'we had to destroy the village to save it' rationale."

http://tinyurl.com/67bgv7

"WHY YOU DON'T NEED, OR WANT, HD-AM RADIO"

"The audio improvement HD-AM offers over correctly-processed AM audio is largely a mirage. Because HD-AM hogs bandwidth as it rides along the analog AM signal, HD-AM broadcasters actually have reduced the quality of their analog signals – and dramatically so. Industry engineering periodicals note that HD-AM broadcasters have chopped analog bandwidth from the maximum permitted under FCC rules, 10 kHz, to 6 kHz, or in some cases 5 kHz or less – approximately the frequency response of those scratchy, hissy 78 rpm phonograph records your parents listened to in the 1940s. So, when switching from AM analog to HD-AM on your swell new receiver, you immediately notice the difference!"

http://www.stopiboc.com/whynoneed.html


"New Zune To Include HD Radio"

"Bob Struble, President/CEO of iBiquity Digital Corporation, commented, We are very excited about the launch of HD Radio technology on Microsoft’s Zune HD. We are planning with the HD Radio Alliance to promote Zune HD to consumers."

http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=1342290

"Are Ford and HD Radio in Sync?"

"The radio industry will, of course, promote Ford for free in exchange for this development as part of the presumably soon-to-expire pledge of airtime to the HD radio effort."

http://www.hear2.com/2007/09/are-ford-and-hd.html


"How a closed-source model is killing HD Radio"

"Though most consumers don’t know it, there are software revisions appearing with HD Radio right now, and most radios are not field-upgradable — it’s not 'safe' to invest big bucks in receivers yet."

http://tinyurl.com/3acf25

"Can all HD Radio tuners get these extra channels?"

"Multicasting was developed after the first generation of HD Radio tuners hit the market. While all HD Radio tuners will pick up the station's primary digital channel, only radios that are designated multicast-capable will be able to pick up HD-2 and any additional subchannels. Multicasting capability has since become a standard feature on HD Radio tuners. At this point, most HD Radio tuners on the market can receive multicast channels."

http://tinyurl.com/5ldqed


"Volvo First With Standard HD Radios"
11/19/2008

"Volvo announced today that it will be the first automaker to offer HD Radio as standard in all but one of its 2009 car radios, starting next month."

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6616236.html

"Volvo To Offer HD Radio In Its '09 Models"
12/3/2007

"Volvo is the first automaker to announce plans to offer HD Radio as standard equipment. The vehicles will be available in September 2008."

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6508927.html


"The Switch and Bait!"

"So, how many classical KVOD listeners are going to heed his advice '... not to run out and buy an HD Radio thinking that will fix things,' and '... to encourage them to stop donations to Colorado Public Radio until this situation improves?' Makes you wonder why didn't Colorado Public Radio executives just come clean with listeners in the first place? Instead, they hoped to persuade you with wiggly advice like this."

http://tinyurl.com/8b9zoq

"Florida station moves classical to HD"

"Classical isn’t going away entirely, though — WGCU is putting it on an HD Radio multicast channel. Which, for all intents and purposes, is equivalent to putting it in a space capsule and shooting it into the airless void. Okay, that’s exaggerating, but not by much. To hear digital multicast channels, you need a digital radio that can tune into them. And very, very few people own digital radios."

http://tinyurl.com/cxgno6


"Radio: Hypocritical Deceiver"

"But then along came a research study on HD Radio from the reputable (as opposed to questionable) Edison Media and Arbitron. It found that HD Radio consumer awareness actually dropped from 26 percent to 24 percent!"

http://tinyurl.com/3tyrjv

"Riding the HD Radio coat tails"

"So the series has nothing to do with HD Radio. Just to be sure, I asked if the series was being offered exclusively on multicast channels, which would be another way to promote HD Radio for what HD Radio has to offer. But alas, the reply proved that wrong: This series will be broadcast on NPR’s primary stations, not multicast stations.”

http://tinyurl.com/5cuuk6

"HD Radio is already lost (and really isn't 'HD')"

"Quite honestly, it doesn't stand for anything, said Peter Ferrera, president and CEO of the HD Digital Radio Alliance. The concept was somewhat of a steal from HD television, where viewers know it means better quality."

http://tinyurl.com/2r5bz9

"IS IBIQUITY RENEGING ON A REBATE OFFER?" August 29, 2007

"CGC #791 mentioned a limited-time price for the entry level Radiosophy HD100 digital radio receiver and there was a handsome rebate offered from iBiquity. It now appears that iBiquity's rebate contractor is balking on issuing some rebates, and we'd like to determine the extent of the problem."

http://www.bext.com/_CGC/2007/cgc807.htm

"HD Radio Propaganda??"

"It was almost as if the author was forced by his new bosses at CBS to write a positive article on HD Radio. Our advice: If you are going to put out propaganda (and it is their right to do so), at least do it right."

http://tinyurl.com/5cewlr


"HD Radio: Stunts and symbols at your expense"

"How does that make you feel? What does it do to the perception of radio's value when we squander it on bartered stunts like this?"

http://www.hear2.com/2007/09/hd-radio-stunts.html

"Clear Channel Radio To Help White House Press Secretary"

"We at Clear Channel Radio are big fans of White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs - and we want him to have a radio!.. We`ll be bringing a portable, desktop, clock, in dash unit if he owns a car, HD Radio with iTunes tagging, an FM adapter for his iPod, and the URLs for all his favorite streaming radio stations. We`ll even help him download Clear Channel`s iheartradio mobile app to his smart phone!"

http://tinyurl.com/pn7w7m


“You don’t want HD Radio’s Bilk-o in your foxhole”

“How would you like it if one you believed to be a business partner did an about face and supported the very thing your industry is fighting against? Memo to terrestrial radio: iBiquity and the HD Radio Alliance just double-crossed you.”

http://tinyurl.com/6x45ww

HD Radio: Financials

"iBiquity Digital raises yet another round"
March 28, 2008

"The Columbia, Md., company is in the process of raising a $15 million fourth round of venture capital, VentureBeat has learned... It’s not clear whether this is enough to make HD Radio appealing... The company has raised an estimated $115 million in three earlier rounds... The company declined to comment."

http://tinyurl.com/2muftt

"iBiquity Digital Corp. scores $300K from DBED"
March 14, 2008

"iBiquity of Columbia is to receive a $300,000 conditional loan for expansion, but the funds are contingent on the company retaining its existing 38 jobs through Dec. 2013 and adding 82 positions. The loan, through the state Department of Business and Economic Development, will be used in connection with a $30,000 match from Howard County for the company to relocate and expand in Columbia."

http://tinyurl.com/6z8p2m

"IBiquity sees digital radio signaling changes to come"
October 12, 2007

"The company has yet to turn a profit and does not expect to do so in 2007 or 2008, Struble said... Mass marketing and consumer adoption is the last hurdle, Struble said... Representatives of investment firms that have spots on iBiquity's board of directors could not be reached for comment, but Struble said they are excited about the progress the company is making. The focus is not on exit strategies yet, he said."

http://tinyurl.com/3don5y

"Intel Capital invests in iBiquity Digital Corp. of Columbia"
November 22, 2005

"iBiquity Digital Corp., of Columbia, the sole developer of digital AM and FM broadcast technology, said Intel Capital, the strategic investment program of California-based Intel Corp., the world's largest semiconductor maker, invested in the company. Financial terms were not disclosed, but an iBiquity official said the companies will work together to accelerate the commercialization of HD Radio, particularly in the area of portable HD Radio devices."

http://tinyurl.com/cmwymv

"IBiquity Digital's Make-or-Break Point Approaches"
February 28, 2005

"It has been seven years since the first significant venture money poured into iBiquity Digital Corp. and nearly 15 years since the company's founding. For private equity investors, that's an eternity to wait for a payoff... Barring a widespread rejection of the technology by consumers, iBiquity by this time next year will finally be drawing in some real revenue after 15 years of spending the money of investors that have pumped in more than $135 million in corporate and independent venture capital."

http://tinyurl.com/djn5hb

HD Radio: MSN Direct

"Microsoft sticks with analog"

"The company's MSN Direct was developing a new traffic and local information service using HD Radio signals. But after two years of investigating how HD Radio could be tapped, Microsoft decides to stick with its current analog system instead of converting to an HD Radio data service."

http://tinyurl.com/8unwdu

"Job cuts at MSN Direct"

"Last week Microsoft announced 3,000 job cuts. MSN Direct, which offers real-time services such as traffic, weather and gas price to Personal Navigation Devices via the FM bandwidth, is part of the impacted groups... In one hand the little success of connected PNDs in the United States has been good for MSN Direct, but in the other hand the development of HD Radio - offering the same sort of location-based services to PND manufacturers - is competing directly with MSN Direct. This is especially the case for the HD Radio services offered by NAVTEQ which will be sponsored by advertising."

http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/Job-cuts-at-MSN-Direct_a1509.html

HD Radio: Arbitron PPM

"Chicago PPM results for November (updated)"

"The November PPM book certainly brought some surprises - like the decline of WGN-AM, which went from second in October to seventh in total-day 2+ numbers, and not ranking in the top 20 at all in adults 25-54. With this surprisingly poor performance, I'm sorry WGN - it's off to the loser's circle."

http://tinyurl.com/8zx56b

"Tribune Broadcasting Suspends AM IBOC"

"WGN-AM in Chicago, Illinois is the latest 50kW station to drop continuous AM HD Radio broadcasts. Reportedly, WGN's self-induced contamination to the main channel analog audio interferes with the Arbitron People Meter (PPM) devices. This interference is one of many artifacts heard when using the HD Radio system on the AM medium-wave band."

http://meduci.com

"Is AM Skywave Broadcasting Finished?"

"So I wanted to find out if nighttime IBOC transmission would really be the death knell of long-distance AM skywave listening, as some critics believe... WOR handily took down WLW in Cincinnati on 700 kHz and WGN, Chicago at 720 kHz..."

http://www.rwonline.com/article/8400

HD Radio: Portables

"iBiquity Forced to Build Own Portable Player"

"Sure, Microsoft's very modestly selling, very decent Zune players will feature HD Radio in a new model later this year, but iBiquity is making its own portable, too. That makes nearly no sense if the firm could find any other company willing to incorporate the long-awaiting portable digital AM/FM chips... The only reason a company gets into the business of making its own branded stuff is that they can't find a partner... Struble does some excellent tap dancing in this interview, where the reporter doesn't have the history to cite his previous statements over the last several years, some of which were repeated here."

http://tinyurl.com/mal6qh


"CES 2009: HD Radio Portables Due In ’09"

"The portables will include an MP3 player with embedded HD Radio and an antenna embedded in the headset, said iBiquity COO Jeffrey Jury. Another will be a stand-alone AM/FM headset portable, and a third will be an HD Radio accessory that attaches to MP3 players. They’re on display along with PNDs without visible brand names in iBiquity’s booth... The portables are made possible by new chipsets available from Samsung and Siport. Battery-life targets are four to six hours, Jury said."

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6627182.html

"SiPort Releases Single-Chip Solution (SP1010)"

"The single-chip HD Radio IC is small — 9 x 9 millimeters, or about one-third of an inch square — and draws 110 milliwatts of power, several times less than competitors, SiPort says... That compares to a prototype KRI armband MP3 player/HD Radio receiver that iBiquity displayed in its booth at CES, the smallest device that an IBOC chip has been integrated into so far. That device uses 500 milliwatts of power and would last between six to eight hours after one charge, Velamuri estimated."

http://www.rwonline.com/article.aspx?articleId=79000&mnu_id=14

"SP1010 Features"

"Single 3.3V operation with on-chip DC-DC converters thus eliminating the need for external voltage regulators. Total power dissipation of 110 mW in HD Radio Playback."

http://tinyurl.com/nbv9df

"Music playback time (battery life)"

"Music playback time is the officially quoted longest time that a single battery charge will last when you use the phone as a music player only. Usually those numbers are only achievable when the phone is set to Flight mode (i.e. all transceivers are off) and the headphones are used (as opposed to the loudspeaker)."

http://www.gsmarena.com/glossary.php3?term=music-playback-time


"CES 2008: HD Radio"

"However, in January 2008 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas iBiquity unveiled a prototype of a new iPod-sized portable receiver. It is based on a new chipset developed by Samsung. Although portable, it is still a relatively power-hungry device (it will run on an average set of alkaline batteries in about two hours, according to an iBiquity engineer). But Samsung engineers at CES say a second-generation chipset due in 2009 will be about 40 percent more power efficient and then a third-generation chipset due about a year later will use even less energy."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_Radio

"HD Radio To Go Portable New, Smaller Chipset"

"For portable devices, the Samsung chipset will reduce power consumption to less than 200 milliwatts from other chipsets' approximate 3 watts, Struble said."

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6526388.html


"NAB2007: Next-Gen Features on the Horizon"

"Several future capabilities of HD Radio were demoed by Ibiquity Digital vendors on the show floor at NAB2007... SiPort displayed a 100 milliwatt HD Radio chip at NAB2007. The Ibiquity-certified chip would enable HD-R reception in portable devices, such as radios and cell phones. It has been Taiwanese development for two years; production in initial quantities is targeted for Q3 of this year. Proponents predict HD-R portables to debut in the first or second quarter of 2008. Samsung subsequently announced its intention to release a low-power, high-performance HD-R chip in the same timeframe."

http://www.rwonline.com/article/5204


"Niles HD radio issues"

"We have been installing quite a few HD radio 'Cards' for the Niles ICS multiroom audio system. This is a proprietary device that fits in a slot in the ICS mainframe if you will. Lately we have been having a rash of problems with lockups etc... We have had more severe failures as well... Niles must have to buy them from a chip manufacturer of some sort? It would seem to be a problem with the chipset... There seems to be alot more going on with these devices than standard tuners. More power consumption as well. I wonder if the power consumption is the issue?"

http://tinyurl.com/5psbvf


"Microsoft: We Couldn’t Kill the iPod, Maybe We Can Kill the iPod touch"

"FM radio was touted in the original Zunes. Lots of music players added radio since it was considered a major feature the iPod lacked. Nope. Including FM didn’t make the devices more desirable than an iPod. Now it’s HD radio, which is FM (and AM) with better quality because it’s digital (remember, the word 'digital' makes everything better). So Microsoft is clinging to the belief that FM radio is still what every music device needs, it was obviously just the quality of the signal that was the problem."

http://tinyurl.com/nvrawh

"Will radio ever be built into an iPod?"

"And what's peculiar about that is that such gadgets are indeed on the market. But they aren't manufactured by Apple and they don't have 75% of the mp3 player market, the way the iPod does... Thus there is no chance - none whatsoever - that Apple computer will ever in a million years add an FM (or HD) radio to their shiny little miracle child."

http://www.hear2.com/2006/08/will_radio_ever.html

"New iPhone – No FM"

"New iPhone -- No FM was the headline that appeared in an Inside Radio email yesterday after Apple announced its next iPhone. Inside Radio was just reporting the news but perhaps you remember those fanatical die-hards who swore they would be able to convince Apple CEO Steve Jobs to add an FM radio link to its popular smart phone. Fat chance."

http://tinyurl.com/ko92bx

HD Radio: HD2s/HD3s

"HD Radio Stations Serve Niche Programming"

"Bob Struble, President/CEO of HD Radio developer iBiquity Digital, says in his latest column on the iBiquity website that HD technology can help radio address the Long Tail of consumer interest... Analog radio cannot effectively serve the Long Tail, Struble writes... But HD Radio, he says, gives radio broadcasters an economically viable way to address the Long Tail with niche formats on HD2 and HD3 subchannels... I got a bunch of thought provoking comments on The Long Tail column, and the usual suspects questioning my sanity and family background."

http://www.hdradio.com/the_buzz.php?thebuzz=315

"Harvard Business Review: Should You Invest in the Long Tail?"

"Chris Anderson, editor of Wired magazine, argues that the sudden availability of niche offerings more closely tailored to their tastes will lure consumers away from homogenized hits. The 'tail' of the sales distribution curve, he says, will become longer, fatter, and more profitable. Elberse, a professor at Harvard Business School, set out to investigate whether Anderson's long-tail theory is actually playing out in today's markets. She focused on the music and home-video industries -- two markets that Anderson and others frequently hold up as examples of the long tail in action -- reviewing sales data from Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen VideoScan, the online music service Rhapsody, and the Australian DVD-by-mail service Quickflix. What she found may surprise you: Blockbusters are capturing even more of the market than they used to, and consumers in the tail don't really like niche products much."

http://www.citeulike.org/user/mmkurth/article/2984768


"CLEAR CHANNEL PULLS THE PLUG ON SOME HD RADIO STATIONS"
February 2008

"After conducting a survey of 340 HD2 stations to determine their programming needs, the folks at Clear Channel have dumped a number of their HD Format Lab stations due to a lack of demand. According to the Clear Channel Format Lab website, 46 HD stations are left to carry, including stations with names including 'Standing Room Only Showtunes', 'Pride Radio', 'JokeJoke' and 'Wack Comedy'."

http://tinyurl.com/3w7vox

"CC Radio’s Format Lab gone?"
November 2008

"So bottom line, the Format Lab is no longer available on the web and has cut some of its formats down to the most successful/desirable. The www.iHeartMusic.com website seems to only list the main audio streams of CC stations--not multicast HD formats--but does offer a few off to the side: erockster; Pride; Verizon New Music; Smooth Jazz; Real Oldies; Slow Jams and New Country. There used to be something close to 100 formats listed on the site."

http://www.rbr.com/radio/11252.html


"Bonneville pulls iChannel Music"

"Bonneville has pulled the plug on its iChannel Music HD Network and streaming. For the most part, it has replaced the HD multicast with WorldBand Media content (brokered ethnic programming). iChannel allowed indie bands to upload their music online for consideration... We commend Bonneville for giving it a shot—it allowed radio to expose a lot of new, unsigned indie bands from around the world. CC Radio's eRockster HD2 format is still around at a good handful of stations and still outstanding. If that gets shuttered, a good bunch of us just might be done with HD Radio listening altoghether."

http://www.rbr.com/radio/12113.html


"We Might Want to Keep an Eye on ION"

"If the commission embraces the notion that secondary digital streams really do constitute separate licenses that can be separately assigned, one could easily argue that radio stations that have opted to transmit digital streams (i.e., 'HD Radio') should also be permitted to sell those streams as separately licensed stations... For one, the number of radio stations could theoretically double or triple overnight. This might not have the cataclysmic effect of, say, the injection of nearly 700 new FM allotments through the notorious Docket No. 80-90 a quarter century ago, but you never know. At a minimum, if the law of supply and demand were to hold true, the overnight doubling/tripling of stations would likely depress each station's value. And such a rapid increase in the number of stations would logically lead to a similarly rapid increase in competition for audiences and revenues. Are we all ready for that?"

http://www.rwonline.com/article.aspx?articleId=76922&mnu_id=14

"Radio: HD Radio's holiday horror"

"We already have too many radio stations on terrestrial AM and FM... If every man, woman and child in this great country of ours had complete and total access to HD Radio – it would obliterate the radio industry. You’d have listeners spread out on to too many radio stations for any one station to show effective reach and frequency. Do the math. This blue sky world for HD Radio would put all radio out of business. No one station would have enough listeners to justify advertising."

http://tinyurl.com/6omhpv

"HD Radio milepost is actually an Internet Radio milepost"

"Of course, there's nothing wrong with winning advertisers on an HD-2 stream, but let's acknowledge it for what it is (in many cases, at least): Internet ad sales, not HD-2 sales."

http://www.hear2.com/2008/03/an-hd-radio-mil.html

"CBS buys Last.fm - and what it means"

"It is inevitable that radio - or aspects of radio - will become personalized... Instantly, the value of a huge 'variety' of channels or stations will be obliterated. Because ultimately nobody wants a hundred diverse channels or stations. They want THEIR one or two or three diverse channels or stations. A hundred stations is what you provide when technology limits you from doing better... Bad news for HD. Bad news for satellite."

http://www.hear2.com/2007/05/cbs_buys_lastfm.html


"Robert J. Struble, President and CEO"

"Bob earned his Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT where he was elected into the Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Xi engineering honor societies, and an MBA from Harvard, where he graduated with high distinction as a Baker Scholar."

http://tinyurl.com/5jjujj

HD Radio: Disclaimer

"iBiquity Twists Its Tubes"

"Any simple WHOIS domain-name search turns up the obvious: iBiquity owns HDRadio.com. Administrative and technical contacts point straight back to the corporate HQ. My question is, why all the disclaimage? And are you really that clueless, iBiquity? Are you effectively denying the validity/credibility of your consumer-marketing claims?.. Hiding behind a trademark-disclaimer - that HDRadio.com is 'managed' by the HD Radio Alliance - which is, for all intents and purposes, iBiquity (though that particular domain is registered to Clear Channel) - does not cut the mustard."

http://tinyurl.com/dz9893


"NDS Optimistic About Conditional Access Uses for Radio"

"NDS is working with chip manufacturers like Texas Instruments, Samsung, SiPort, NXP and others to work the Radio Guard intellectual property into HD Radio chipsets. The Dice unit is the first to have the NDS conditional access properties; however, We expect eventually all HD Radio chips will have NDS Radio Guard in them, he said."

http://www.rwonline.com/article/73784

HD Radio: Integrity

"An Interview With: Robert J. Struble"

"How was iBiquity launched? It started out essentially as a science project formed by some radio groups back in the early 90s... The core staffing of the business came out of Westinghouse’s defense business which was based in Linthicum, Md. We took some world class engineers from the defense business and formed the company... Back then to call it a science project would have been an insult to scientists... We’re making this stuff up as we go along, which is exciting."

http://www.bisnow.com/archives_ew/index_struble.html

"A Smart Choice Of HD-2 Formats"

"One of HD-2's challenges seems just to be staying on the air. At DCRTV.com, Dave Hughes gave Clear Channel's eRockster (now heard on WWDC's multicast channel) a plug only to note the next day (July 12) that it was off the air, as was WTOP's HD-3 traffic/weather channel. That's an experience I've had with many of New York's HD-2 channels as well, by the way. What's even more pathetic about the 'here-one-day-and-gone-the-next' status of local HD Radio channels is that I'm probably the only one who's noticing the absences, Hughes writes."

http://tinyurl.com/9foghf

"DaySequerra Targets HD Radio Time Alignment Drift"

"President David Day in the announcement described the product as a solution to one of the most nagging problems facing HD Radio station engineers today — drift of time alignment between the analog and HD-1 audio... While the original algorithm can correlate audio that is already within 300 ms of alignment, the new TimeLock algorithm is capable of resolving up to 14 seconds of program diversity and is much more robust against processing differences and other artifacts.”

http://www.rwonline.com/article/76318

"Renowned Cambridge SoundWorks HD Radio Designer Explains HD Radio"

"HD Radio broadcasts require a consistent, stronger signal than analog broadcasts... Below the minimum required signal le vel, the HD Radio program switches back to the analog signal... There is a limit to how far you can be from a transmitter and still receive an HD Radio transmission. For flat land with no obstructions, this limit could be as far away as 20-25 miles. For hilly terrain, the limit may drop to 10-15 miles. For the strongest signal within 20 miles of a radio transmitter, the user should position the provided 30 inch dipole antenna either horizontally or vertically along a wall or window."

http://www.hdradio.com/the_buzz.php?thebuzz=87

"IBOC TECHNOLOGY: An Assessment of Technical & Operational Issues in the Canadian FM Radio Environment"

"For a variety of reasons relating to the time requirements for digital signal processing, it takes 8-10 seconds for the digital audio signals to be heard when an HD Radio receiver is first tuned to a transmission. Likewise, it can take equally long to restore digital quality when the signal fails and then returns again. A secondary consequence of this processing delay is that programming fed to the analog FM transmitter must be delayed by 8-10 seconds whenever the blending feature is being utilized. This ensures that content is not lost when the receiver switches back to analog mode during a digital signal failure. Stations using this technology may need to implement certain internal operational changes to accommodate the fact that off-air listeners will experience delays of up to 10 seconds with both the analog and digital versions of their programming. Since no analog program version exists for ancillary HD2 or HD3 programming, listeners experiencing digital failures must simply tolerate audio outages until the signal restores itself."

http://tinyurl.com/ltxtkr


"HD Radio set to botch its first impression"

"It is patently stupid to tack on HD stations to existing analog frequences (as in 98.5-1, 98.5-2, 98.5-3) and then put three different things on those frequencies... Furthermore, the names are so incredibly clunky, moving newfangled digital radio strongly in the direction of even clunkier HAM radio. It's a confusing mass of digits, decimals, and dashes. We would be better off reconceptualizing the entire dial and taking this opportunity to simplify it across the board. For example (and brace yourself), how about numbering our stations 1 to 100? If this sounds like Satellite Radio, just remember HD Radio was your idea, not mine."

http://www.hear2.com/2005/08/hd_radio_set_to.html

"I got an HD radio for Christmas"

1. Not used to a radio taking 5-7 seconds to 'boot' when you turn it on.
2. HD2/HD3 channels take 5+ seconds to 'Link' whenever you change channels. Doesn't really encourage channel surfing.
3. The radio runs very hot; I've heard those Ibiquity chips suck power and that's why you're not seeing a walkman HD radio yet. (And that's also why you'll probably never see HD radio in a cell phone).
4. In Bernal Heights (where I live), I can only pick up 15 HD2 channels.
5. Public radio, such as KQED, KCSM, KALW all have no HD2.
6. I'm not really impressed with any of the current HD2 formats here in San Francisco. There is a lot of hiphop, but don't you think most of the audience for that's going to just be downloading MP3 'mixtapes' to their iPods?
7. I'm not impressed with the HD2 audio quality; and when more stations add a HD3 that means the main channel will sound the same as the HD2/3 channels - 32kb streams. They sound good for 32kb but there are some strange artifacts that crop up from time to time.

http://tinyurl.com/9jzukw

HD Radio: Automakers

"Radio’s Revenue Falls Even as Audience Grows"

"And automakers, which have other problems, are not embracing the technology; so far, only Volvo is offering HD Radio as a standard feature in its new cars (it is standard in all but one of its 2009 models). HD radio is pretty much going to be nonexistent, because they can’t figure out how to get the auto guys to include that as an option, and the auto guys that do include HD don’t let the consumers know about it, Ms. Ryvicker of Wachovia Capital Markets said. It’s been a horribly marketed product that’s not going to save the radio industry. Mr. Struble objected to that characterization... He said there was 'a lot of momentum' with the auto industry."

http://tinyurl.com/5zx3je

"Could HD Radio Be Good For Satellite Radio?"

"When the complaints start rolling into the dealership service departments, surely one suggestion from service advisers will be to switch to Satellite Radio. Ironically, the end of terrestrial radio may come at the hand of terrestrial radio itself."

http://tinyurl.com/5o5wln


"BMW HD-Radio™- Functionality and Diagnosis"

"SI B65 25 05Sound System, Cruise, Alarms, Monitors August 2007 Technical Service. This Service Information bulletin supersedes S.I. 65 25 05 dated March 2007"

http://tinyurl.com/cd5fae

"HD Radio™ Troubleshooting Guide (Consumer)"

"Station Volume changes. Audio repeats or jumps forward in time. An echo occurs when the radio switches between Analog and Digital audio. Digital audio sounds worse than the Analog audio. The HD-Radio™ sound keeps switching between Digital and Analog audio quality. HD-Radio™ Indicator keeps turning on and off."

http://tinyurl.com/lwryun

"Gimme More HD Signal Pleeeze"

"I purchased the HD Radio option in my BMW-X5 in January 2008. (I have commented in the past regarding this experience). But I must say after having paid for and using this option I kinda secretly wish I could get my money back. And here’s why. The HD audio signal can’t seem to find my car... But speaking as a citizen here in publicville I feel gypped."

http://tinyurl.com/chscm6


"DEAD AIR: Radio’s Great Leap Forward stalling in the Valley" December 5, 2007

"Nearly two years after the Valley’s four Clear Channel stations went HD, several high-end car manufacturers have promised to offer HD radios as an option on new models. But while Ford announced in September that it offers the radios as dealer-installed upgrades — as have Mini, Volvo, Jaguar and BMW — local Ford and Lincoln dealers had not heard of HD and said they don’t offer the option."

http://tinyurl.com/6gwdj4


"2010 Scion xB pricing announced"

"For those who do not want the standard Pioneer unit, an Alpine Premium unit will be an option which comes with a navigation and back-up camera ready for extra cost. The Alpine option will come with a 4.3 inch color touch screen and is HD Radio Ready for limitless music."

http://tinyurl.com/cgnzdr


"U.S. automakers not jumping into HD Radio"

"The radios are estimated to cost about $45 each to install, or each of the three carmakers about $150 million to $200 million annually, automotive industry sources said."

http://tinyurl.com/o8zaau

HD Radio: Retailers

"Crawford Broadcasting: The Local Oscillator"

"Whatever happened to the big HD-R receiver rollout at Wal-Mart?.. This rollout has not happened in Western New York, and chances are, not in your market either. In fact, recently while Christmas shopping with my wife, I stopped in several national chain electronics retailers inquiring about HD-R receivers. Of the three I checked, Circuit City, Best Buy and Radio Shack, only one had an HD receiver in stock, and it was not even displayed along with all of the other receivers offered for sale. Someone has to pick up the ball and get the public educated and interested in HD-R, or 1,797 stations have made a very poor investment into the future of radio."

http://tinyurl.com/927svj

"Let’s Go Shopping: HD Radio in Cincy"

"A Target is just across the street, so I sauntered over and looked around their home electronics section, located about as far as possible from the front door and against an outside wall. HD Radio? Nada. Zero. Zip... Then it was onto Wal-Mart. I checked the home electronics department from top to bottom and nothing. No one was around except in the photo department next door, but the guys there knew nothing about HD Radio... My final stops were at the local mall. I went because that’s where my local RadioShack is located — on the lower level, below ground. When I got there, all that was displayed was a lonely-looking Boston Acoustics Recepter HD. It wasn’t plugged in and had no price tag. I asked the attendant if they had any others. He looked at me with his mouth half-opened and said he didn’t even know they had that one."

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.11929.html

"HD Slowly Passes Into The Night"

"Radio Shack has given up on HD Radio. Their stores have two radios in stock and both are on clearance. One radio that sold for $249 is now on closeout at $82. The other was $149 and now sells for $99. If that isn’t ‘get this out of here’ pricing what is? It appears no new models are coming to replace them. No surprise really... Best Buy, Circuit City and Fry’s are the same story. They don’t have HD units except for some car units and their people don’t have a clue what it does. Just ask them."

http://tinyurl.com/5s8zfk

"Exploring HD-R Availability in Philly"

"So how is HD Radio doing in Philly? Badly... How can broadcasters expect the public to get excited about HD Radio when it can't be uniformly heard everywhere? How can retailers sell the product if they don't stock it? Or if the products they do have on hand can't be demonstrated and employees are clueless? How can manufacturers justify building the product if it doesn't sell for these reasons? No wonder some automakers balked at putting HD Radio in cars when it came up tied to the satellite merger."

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.16233.html


"HD Radio: Still low in priority at stores"

"I visited a Best Buy the other day, and while I was there I stopped in the auto sound department. He took me to the display wall and showed me the one unit that had HD Radio built in. It was a model from JVC. He said that others were HD Radio ready, but they all required an expensive interface to add HD Radio."

http://tinyurl.com/chb3rg

"Is HD Radio going to be killed by manufacturers' desire to keep it a premium-priced upgrade?"

"I just embarked on my twice-per-year online shopping trip to see if it's time to upgrade my car stereo to HD. Saw a sudden shift to car radios now being 'HD-Ready' instead of HD for a number of radios. This appears to require the purchase and professional installation of a separate, compatible unit. Anyone know why this appears to be a sudden new direction and what this might mean for the future of HD radio?"

http://tinyurl.com/6rbj7y


"The Dawn of HD Radio"

"Struble figures that every one of the 70 million radios sold in this country each year eventually will use an Ibiquity patent. And we'll get a small check for each one of those radios, Struble said."

http://tinyurl.com/lbuhzb

"RadioShack's Inadequate Accurian"

"Instead of developing a radio capable of superior sound quality, I'm guessing that RadioShack paid iBiquity a fortune for the license, cheaply put together a subpar product, and passed the licensing cost on to consumers."

http://tinyurl.com/qu9zdw


"HD on QVC -- Lipstick on a (Roast) Pig"

"Hope QVC has better luck than Radio Shack, Best Buy and Wal-Mart selling these empty radios. Hey, whatever happened to that hype?.. Maybe QVC viewers can buy George Foreman's grill along with their HD radios so that they can cook this pig because there are going to be a lot of unhappy customers out there once they plug it in... This roast pig is getting me sick to my stomach."

http://tinyurl.com/6ctnve

"Half Dead Radio"

"My guess is that those few viewers you may get during your HD Radio snake oil sales hour will be waiting for your pitch to end and Joan Rivers’ artificial overpriced baubles sale to begin. Peter, the phone didn’t ring. It must be all the American people interested in HD Radio. What’s the pitch? HD Radio is just like HD TV without the picture?"

http://gormanmediablog.blogspot.com/2007/09/halif-dead-radio.html

"HD Radio and QVC -- looked good on paper"

"One final thing I noticed. Usually there's a countdown in the item info bar. How many have sold, how many are left; that kind of thing. That information was absent. At the end of the half hour I have no idea how many of the three radios were available, nor how many sold. And no one called in with a testimonial."

http://tinyurl.com/5zvn6w


"Reality check: People don't buy radios"

"Five years from now, you won't walk into a Best Buy and say, I want an HD Radio. You'll just say, I want a radio — because that will be the standard... So here's the newsflash to Bob Struble and all the other suits getting ready to yuck-it-up at the NAB Radio Show this week... in five years? No one is going to be saying I want a radio when they walk into Best Buy."

http://tinyurl.com/d6hcsq

"HD Radio: Which hype should you believe?"

"Bob Struble, president of iBiquity, told the NAB Board of Directors that 2007 was a 'breakthrough year' with over 330,000 HD Radio receivers sold compared to the 40,000 units sold in 2006... And only a few months ago, iBiquity was saying they sold 200,000 units in 2006, and are estimating 1 to 1.5 million units for 2007."

http://tinyurl.com/nqqaer

"Are you waiting in line for your HD radio?"

"If you lower the price enough, folks will buy the radio. That's the belief about HD radio that is being stoked in our industry. And, of course, it's wrong."

http://www.hear2.com/2006/11/are_you_waiting.html

HD Radio: Power Increase

"CPB/NPR to Fit Square HD Peg Into Round Hole"

"First, National Public Radio (through the CPB) has already extensively studied this issue, more than anyone else in the industry, and the results are pretty unequivocal that increasing the power of a station's FM digital signal will adversely affect not only its own analog host-signal, but also those of neighboring stations. So much so, in fact, that the (first) study's coordinating engineer has admitted in other fora that an increase in HD sideband power levels is much more likely to do harm than good."

http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0409.htm#042909

"Upping HD Radio signal strengths"

"The short math given what we know today is that it will cost roughly double on the transmission end to increase HD Radio FM power tenfold. There are likely to be additional costs for cooling and air handling as well, in order to dissipate the excess energy required to get out another 10 dB in HD Radio signal. And, for some higher powered stations, existing HD Radio configurations may not be able to handle the power load, which could add to the cost and complexity of increasing HD Radio beyond its current power level... Also worth considering is existing transmitter combiner technology and whether or not it can support the added demands of increasing HD Radio broadcasts another 10 dB. If not, then it’s very likely that stations at the higher power levels will need to factor in a new antenna system that can support HD Radio, rather than piggyback onto their existing FM antenna system. At the higher powers, especially, an immediate 10 dB increase in HD Radio signal may be cost prohibitive... This will typically mean the addition of another similarly rated transmitter (using a combining technique) or the purchase of a new transmitter of roughly twice today’s power level."

http://tinyurl.com/cfbrtq

"NAB to Seek FCC Approval of Major IBOC Power Boost"

"For some broadcasters, however, the fact that the NAB has apparently signed on to the recommendation without first revealing details of this rather secretive study to its general membership is both striking and troubling."

http://tinyurl.com/39foj9


"Ford Motor Company"

"The tests iBiquity Digital conducted demonstrate a 10 dB power increase will deliver a more complete replication of digital coverage in a variety of terrain environments. The tests also confirm the higher power will increase building penetration. In the case of car listeners, this means, obstructions such as garages and underpasses will provide less of an impediment to continued reception. These tests confirm both the improved coverage and building penetration from the increased transmission power level and also the viability of increasing power without causing undue interference to adjacent channel stations. They also demonstrate that there will be limited impact on adjacent channel stations in the vast majority of cases."

http://tinyurl.com/6a2wlx

"BMW"

"BMW of North America is pleased that the real world field testing iBiquity conducted confirmed both the improved coverage and building penetration from the increased transmission power level and the viability of increasing power without causing interference to adjacent channel stations. The tests demonstrate there will be limited impact on adjacent channel stations in the vast majority of cases".

http://tinyurl.com/5w3tc6


"Comments of Simmons Media Group, LLC"

"Large-market and large-group stations with more resources will be the most likely to increase digital operating power, leaving small-market, rural, and family-owned analog broadcasters to lose revenues from interference while undertaking large attorney and engineering fees to fight digital interference at the FCC."

http://tinyurl.com/6fmcx4

"Comments of Simmons Media Group, LLC"

"Simmons Media continues to be extremely concerned that the FCC would act contrary to the best interests ofthe majority of its licensed broadcasters who primarily operate with analog devices, to favor the large market, well funded broadcasters who wish to boost the coverage of their digital signals at the expense of their analog competitors. The FCC should not be a supporter of The Joint Parties petition. The FCC should protect the interests of all broadcasters whose audiences primarily listen via analog devices."

http://tinyurl.com/n43ne7

"Comments of Barry D. McLarnon, P. Eng."

"There is no headroom for any power increase in many cases... I explained in some detail how the test results presented by iBiquity on compatibility of higher power with existing FM analog transmission were deeply flawed. In short, these results prove little or nothing, and no further results of any consequence have been presented by iBiquity. This is typical of the subterfuge and lack of critical analysis that has been a characteristic of the IBOC system since its early days. It is worth noting that iBiquity and other IBOC proponents had an opportunity to respond to my critique of their test methodology in Reply Comments, but none of them did so.

http://tinyurl.com/kr9dx5

HD Radio: Satrad Inclusion

"FCC Begins Inquiry on Mandate for HD Radio on XM Sirius Receivers"

"That last issue, the FCC statutory authority to adopt rules in this area, is a general question considered in several other recent FCC proceedings... Rules requiring that equipment manufacturers take certain actions have run into problems in the Court of Appeals in the recent past as the FCC has only limited jurisdiction over such manufacturers..."

http://tinyurl.com/lvmtat

"Mandatory HD Inclusion Illegal In Some Instances"

"Satellite receiver manufacturer Antex Electronics raises a great and compelling argument against mandatory HD inclusion in satellite receivers. For his company, the inclusion would be illegal, and is also against some current FCC regulations."

http://tinyurl.com/5v5pj2

"STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER DEBORAH TAYLOR TATE"

"However, many commenters, particularly those in the automobile industry oppose a government mandate requiring inclusion of HD chips in all radios, and the resulting increase in cost... Without exception, the auto manufacturers I spoke with urged the Commission to forbear from imposing an HD chip requirement. Their estimate of the cost per car was, on average, two, three, or four times the cost suggested by iBiquity... Thus, I believe the proper path for the Commission to take is to review the issue, along with the price cap, in three years. In addition, we will launch a Notice of Inquiry to examine what the resulting costs would be and whether HD should be mandated. In the interim, I encourage the HD radio industry to find new and innovative incentives to offer car manufacturers to include their technology in automobiles, just as other technologies have done, to increase their uptake and adoption, perhaps including an innovative revenue-sharing model."

http://tinyurl.com/d9ex49

"DOJ Approves Sirius/XM Merger"

"The statement also dismisses claims by HD Radio that a merged Sirius and XM would exclude competing technology from car stereos and other equipment."

http://tinyurl.com/32og6s


"Ford Slams HD Radio Inclusion Proposal"

"In an interesting move, Ford Motor Company has come out against a proposed rule that would require all satellite receivers to include HD radio capabilities. The position Ford is taking is interesting because Ford was one of the first major auto makers to announce a deal with HD Radio for installations of HD technology their cars."

http://siriusbuzz.com/ford-slams-hd-radio-inclusion-proposal.php

"Association of International Automobile Manufacturers"

"AIAM opposes a mandate that HD radio features be integrated into satellite radio receivers or vice versa. Such a requirement would, among other things, impose significant new engineering burdens on vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as significant unnecessary costs on consumers and the industry... A minimum of three to four years lead-time would be required to complete all of the necessary design, testing, and approval processes, assuming that no unexpected complications were to arise that could further lengthen the estimated period."

http://tinyurl.com/55xyw4

"MB Docket No. 07-57; Ex Parte Notice of General Motors and Toyota"

"We are writing jointly on behalf of our two companies, General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. to express the opposition of our companies to suggestions that the Federal Communications Commission should require the incorporation of HD radio technology in any satellite radio receiver as a condition of approval of the proposed merger of XM and Sirius Satellite Radio."

http://tinyurl.com/5hboxp

"Pioneer says HD Radio succcess should be decided by open market, not forced inclusion"

"IBiquity, the company behind HD Radio, is making enemies all over the place, the latest of which is Pioneer. The Japan-based corp, which makes the popular Inno, recently told the FCC [PDF] that iBiquity's scheme to force satellite radio manufacturers to include HD Radio playback is absurd. The iBiquity conditions would limit the breadth of radio product offerings to consumers, limit which radio component suppliers’ products be designed into radios, have the effect of decreasing AM/FM tuning performance, unnecessarily increase costs to consumers uninterested in HD Radio and interfere with the useful and healthy free market mechanisms extant in radio electronics purchases."

http://tinyurl.com/5f9q2b

HD Radio: Tagging

"And the good ideas keep on coming..."

"So let me understand this... HD radio has been reduced to being a storefront for iTunes? So I listen to my HD radio, tag the songs I like, download them to my iPod, and listen to my iPod rather than my HD radio, right?"

http://www.hear2.com/2007/09/and-the-good-id.html

"Radio: Gossip Churl"

"Pro-HD Radio evangelists proclaimed this well-placed scam to be a sign that Steve Jobs was endorsing HD Radio. In reality, it was fabricated nonsense that reeked from the foul rat odor of the falsehoods and deceit we’ve come to recognize from Bilk-o and his fraudulent HD Radio Alliance."

http://tinyurl.com/5z85jm

"HD Hypocrisy"

"In other words, the broadcasters getting all hot and bothered about Steve Jobs' offering them a little button that's not even on an iPod shows you how pathetic this industry has become. An industry that hasn't supported HD radio from day one."

http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/2007/09/hd-hypocrisy.html


"Editorial: 'Tagging, You're It'"

"Among all the new ideas introduced to U.S. radio broadcasting in 2008, we believe among the most exciting is the addition of music tagging to analog FM. When the tagging concept was announced as an additional feature for HD Radio, we found it interesting, but upon learning how cumbersome the process was to actually execute by listeners, and how few devices actually supported it, we tacitly concluded it was much ado about very little, at least in the near term... Because tagging can now truly work as a 'portable impulse buy' — with the user able to complete a transaction in a few seconds, on an undocked, handheld device — we feel this could be the start of something big for radio."

http://www.rwonline.com/article/71716


"BE Ties iTunes, Twitter Together"

"Broadcast Electronics has introduced a new application that allows 'tweets' -- messages sent via microblog app Twitter -- to be sent to cellphones and iPod Touch media players, and iTunes tags to be sent to any Twitter-enabled mobile device or computer. iTunes tagging had previously been limited to certain HD Radio receivers."

http://tinyurl.com/dx7f2o

HD Radio: Music Royalties

"Want to Kill HD Radio?"

"Let’s say that radio companies have to start paying royalties on the music that they play. Even if it is a flat percentage of all revenue like other outlets are going to be charged, HD Radio streams would do nothing more than serve to drive up royalty payments for NAB members. The overwhelming majority of terrestrial listeners ARE NOT listening to HD Radio. Ads on HD Radio will be dirt cheap for a very long time. The HD streams may not be able to cover royalty on music from ad revenues. Do you think that Clear Channel will continue to pump money in to HD Radio equipment, expanding services and coverage if the payoff in the end is an INCREASE in copyright royalties and nothing more?"

http://dualsub.wordpress.com/2007/11/11/want-to-kill-hd-radio/

"Majority Support For Local Radio Freedom Act"

"The Local Radio Freedom Act is a non-binding resolution, and even the support of a majority of the House does not -- in itself -- block the Performance Rights Act from being brought to a vote. Also, Local Radio Freedom Act supporters are not obligated to vote against the PRA. But this support for the LRFA may very well discourage royalties supporters from scheduling the PRA for a vote in the full House at this time."

http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=1353862&spid=24698


"Details of the Broadcaster SoundExchange Settlement on Webcasting Royalties"

"The rates: The rates, which represent some savings under the CRB rate for the years between 2007 and 2011, are set forth below. These rates are 'per performance', meaning that the rate is paid on a per song, per listener basis."

http://tinyurl.com/lw7vv4

HD Radio: Worldwide

"HD Going Global?"

"There's a lot of white on the map. I didn't color in those countries which have already chosen or are actively testing non-HD Radio broadcast standards (much of Asia and Western Europe, including countries like the UK and Germany). Much of the 'industrialized world' is simply out of play. In addition, many countries (especially in Africa, eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East) have simply not thought much about making a digital radio transition as of yet - analog works just fine for them for now, thanks."

http://www.diymedia.net/archive/0509.htm

"European HD Radio examined"

"When IBOC was first proposed for digital radio the European radio technology industry criticised it on the ground that it was unstable and prone to interference. Another objection was that the patents are owned by a single company, which charges fees for use... HD Radio is similar but the fees come to one company. We're using a different licensing scheme in Europe, with broadcasters contacting manufacturers direct and not paying an on-going fee. HD Radio is not seen as a replacement for DAB or DRM but an alternative that could work for some European radio stations. A spokeswoman for the UK's Digital Radio Development Board said that everybody is looking at everything, although there is currently no apparent interest in the country for HD Radio."

http://tinyurl.com/6l74yq

"Digital Radio Wobbles Around the World"

"My personal mission was to warn as many other countries away from casting their fates with iBiquity's HD Radio platform, as it not only carries a plethora of technical risks, but it may decimate community radio stations as we know them. Fortunately, this was an easy job: the Europeans can see through the snake-oil that is HD Radio, and the general consensus of the workshop was that HD should be opposed at every step... However, this is not stopping iBiquity from trying to break into international markets... iBiquity sees these as ripe markets, where the 'no-pain, some-gain' mantra of HD's biggest selling-point may sway the less-informed."

http://diymedia.net/archive/0608.htm#062308


"Harris Brings Digital Radio Expertise to Dominican Republic"

"Some Dominican Republic broadcasters are asking the government to issue licenses to experiment with digital radio transmission, especially HD Radio broadcasting, after hearing of its successes in the United States and Latin America."

http://www.harris.com/view_pressrelease.asp?act=lookup&pr_id=2201


"Eureka: Reaching out to the World DMB Community"

"After several tests and trials on digital broadcasting technologies including DAB and IBOC in 2006, media broadcasters and the industry have seen that DAB and DVB would be the best-suited systems to be applied in Indonesia. Up to now, the largest public-radio network – RRI (RadioRepublik Indonesia), is running a successful trial broadcast on DAB in Jakarta as wellas testing the DRM technology – and experiencing minimum troubles."

http://tinyurl.com/m8vcna


"Digital Car Radio Secrets Revealed"

"Commercial Radio Australia says that HD Radio will not be available in Australia as it has already been rejected by the Australian commercial radio industry and public broadcasters... Our AM spacing in Australia is 9Khz. The US HD radio technology operates on 10kHz channel spacing, so the technology would need major upgrade if it ever to be suitable for digital radio services in Australia and indeed much of Asia, she said. Currently the USA HD model switches off at 4.00 pm to allow broadcasters in the AM Band to avoid co-channel interference in markets several 100 kilometres away. HD radio was rejected by the industry as it would have disadvantaged some of the most successful radio operators in Australia, added Warner."

http://tinyurl.com/b7butk


"IBOC TECHNOLOGY: An Assessment of Technical & Operational Issues in the Canadian FM Radio Environment"

“Based on the evidence currently in hand, the DRCG considers that it would be risky for Canadian broadcasters to proceed at this time with an unrestricted roll-out of HD Radio services in the FM band, in the manner implemented in the US. There is no ground-swell of radio listener interest in this technology so far and the lack of inexpensive receivers, as well as unique new programming services, continues to make it difficult to market HD Radio to the public in the US. Moreover, there is no evidence that Canadian digital radio listeners are being lost to the 10% of US FM stations that have implemented HD Radio to date.”

http://tinyurl.com/ltxtkr

"Digital radio in Canada"

"The only comprehensive technical comments came from the CBC. They stated that AM-IBOC would create a serious degradation in sound quality for existing AM stations (*all* AM stations, not just the ones adopting IBOC). They also state that due to interference concerns, IBOC transmission at night is not practical."

http://tinyurl.com/cstact


"German State Media Authority Assessement of HD/IBOC"

"HD-RadioTM has been standardized for the US market and does not comply with the transmitter mask defined for ITU Region 1. Therefore, regular use in Germany is formally impossible. Technically spoken, HD-RadioTM is principally compatible with the VHF FM broadcasting scenario, whereby interference occurs right in the 200 kHz frequency offset."

http://tinyurl.com/youkll

"World's first DRM+ broadcasts go on-air in Germany"

"It is also reported that there will be trials of the US-based HD Radio system in the FM band in Germany as well, although I've seen another German report which said that the HD Radio system failed to meet the interference criteria for transmitting in the FM band -- i.e. HD Radio stations would interfere too much with existing FM stations -- so whether HD Radio stands a chance of being used I don't know, but I would doubt it. The European receiver manufacturers certainly wouldn't be keen on supporting yet another standard if they can help it due to the additional licensing costs that would be incurred, and the fact that HD Radio is a proprietary system wouldn't help matters. Also, HD Radio only has a very limited amount of support -- just the odd radio station in a few countries -- so I can't personally see how it stands a chance of building up the momentum required to compete against DAB+, as that has a lot of support from around the world."

http://tinyurl.com/2nojbu


"Mexico Authorizes Transition to HD Radio(TM) Broadcasting"

"Mexico's Federal Telecommunications Commission (CoFeTel) announced last week that it is authorizing radio stations within 320 kilometers (200 miles) from its border with the United States to begin transmitting with digital HD Radio technology.

http://tinyurl.com/ck48ar

"Mexico Says Hang on a Minute!"

"Mexico wants U.S. radio regulators to re-think their decision to allow AMs to go IBOC at night and FMs to operate on the extended hybrid digital carriers. Our neighbors to the south say they are not happy the FCC authorized its recent 'final' IBOC rules governing broadcast transmissions without first coordinating those through international treaties."

http://www.radioworld.com/pages/s.0121/t.7715.html

HD Radio: Hogwash

"We Can Walk and Chew Gum at the Same Time"

"Beware of pundits, advisors or bloggers advocating false choices... Preposterous I say... A slight sidebar in this area: all those claims that mobile internet (Wi-Fi, WiMax, others), in cars or elsewhere, means Armageddon for AM/FM radio are hogwash... I got several great emails last month, as well as the collection of usual suspects accusing me of destroying the world as we know it."

http://tinyurl.com/5d2je6

"Is Struble the Next Rowdy Roddy Piper?"

"Although with lines like 'Preposterous I say' and 'hogwash', Bob is not going to win over any of Gen X'ers and Y'ers who may still have some affinity for radio."

http://tinyurl.com/6e7vpr


"Nobody cares what we own"

"Beware of pundits, advisors or bloggers advocating false choices, advises iBiquity chief Bob Struble. I know he means well, and I sure admire his zeal and his pluck... While this is technically true, it misses the entire point of our digital age."

http://www.hear2.com/2008/08/nobody-cares-wh.html

"Chrysler announces wireless Internet access in 2009 models"

"As long predicted in this blog and elsewhere (okay, everywhere), it is inevitable that every new car driving off a showroom lot will eventually be high-speed Internet enabled. And the consequences for the radio industry - both good and bad - are profound... Fourth, that tiny whimper you just heard was the final gasp of HD Radio. Time to move on to the real challenges, radio."

http://www.hear2.com/2008/06/chrysler-announ.html

HD Radio: Commercials

"HD Radio Ads Combat Perceptions"

"Research tells us that consumers think they are listening to HD Radio because the promos on the station say `broadcasting in HD Radio', a spokesperson said. The new ads will continue educating consumers that they need a new receiver to enjoy the HD experience. All ads therefore will incorporate the tag, 'If you don’t have an HD, you’re not hearing HD. It’s time to upgrade.'”

http://tinyurl.com/lqpspy


“HD Radio’s New Campaign”

“In a sort of snarky approach, the campaign features a humanized radio talking to his owner about why HD Radio product is so attractive and not worth the bother. But in the process, traditional radio is repositioned as old-fashioned, repetitive, and lame… You have to hear these commercials a few times before you really get a basic understanding of what they’re trying to accomplish, while they throw AM/FM Radio under the bus.”

http://tinyurl.com/5ev6pu


"The radio ads for HD Radio (or 'What the ??')"

"I’m sure you’ve heard the latest round of radio spots for HD Radio. The school teacher-sounding woman who compares HD Radio to the mating cycle of an insect, or the feeding habits of a bat, or some other bizarre idea... But these ads are just strange. I mean really strange... When I am in the car with someone not in broadcasting and one of these spots is played, I ask the person with me what he or she thinks. Most of the time the reply is, 'I don’t get it', or 'What was that all about?'"

http://tinyurl.com/crjfvl


"Is HD The Answer To Radio's Youth Listening Exodus?"

"At R&R's Keeping Radio Relevant for Tomorrow's Listeners round-table discussion held Aug. 17 in Los Angeles, participant Larry Rosin, co-founder/president of Edison Media Research, admitted, 'I did a study on HD radio, and the women were laughing. They were literally mocking the commercials.'"

http://tinyurl.com/cor98d


"Nothing's Sexier Than Smooth Jazz on HD Radio This Valentine Season!"

"Chocolates and roses again? Been there, gotten that! Tell her you really love her with the clear and dulcet tones of Smooth Jazz on HD Radio. It's so Romantic! WHAT: This Valentine's Day, be with the one you love: HD Radio. Listen and relax with the likes of peaceful Kenny G, silky Sade and Benson and the soulful Marvin Gaye. These multicast stations, among many others, are providing some of the best romantic smooth jazz ballads to make your special day a little sweeter: WHY: Because meeting Smooth Jazz on HD Radio was fate, becoming HD Radio's friend was a simple and easy choice, but falling in love with Smooth Jazz on HD Radio, now that's a perfect Love Story. WHEN: Right now!"

http://tinyurl.com/arrbfq


"Radio Finally Starts to Go Def"

"To the rhythm of slapping skin, a male hillbilly voice performs a new kind of music called 'rural rump slap', including the lyric 'I'm white trash and I slap you in the ass, I just slapped your momma in my GED class. Rural rump slap rap: You can't hear that on regular radio. But you can on HD.'"

http://tinyurl.com/b9pg6v


"WINTER DREAMS”

"…the annoying caroling family from two streets over: Have an HD Radio gift-wrapped and ready to go. You hardly know this family, but they show up out of nowhere on Christmas Eve with homemade pumpkin bread. Which makes you feel like garbage. Till you whip out their HD Radio with more free stations and crystal-clear sound. Eat that, carolers!"

http://tinyurl.com/c55qe4


"HD Radio commercial"

“Hey, its your radio talking, you know the old guy! Heard you got a new HD radio? Now you don’t even look at me! You want to hear everything crystal clear. You don’t want to hear between the stations? May be I could hit the gym and try some of those new stations you are into?... Remember those lonely nights, long drive, you and me? I would sing you non-stop, and you don’t talk, just listen… Hey, I see you got a new HD radio by my side. Here I am laying all my buttons for you, but you don’t touch my buttons anymore. Don’t you like my buttons??”

http://tinyurl.com/b5cglb


"Commercial Pick"

"So, I was driving along and this song came on the radio that I like. I push a button and my radio records my preference on my ipod, which then tells my computer and my itunes that I want to buy it. I mean, this is great, I have a ton of new songs and all, but isn’t it a little creepy, all my appliances talking about me? I mean, my shower has seen me naked. What is it telling my toaster?”

http://tinyurl.com/bnszn5

HD Radio: Alternatives

"SCA Radio"

"When FM is broadcast, there is more bandwidth available than is necessary. Stereo usually uses the frequencies between 19 to 53 kHz, leaving the frequencies from 53 to 100 kHz for programming. SCA--a legal term that stands for 'Subsidiary Communications Authorization'--uses this extra space for special programming between the frequencies of 67 and 92 kHz. This special programming can consist of anything, but it usually takes the form of readings for the blind, multicultural radio, or other things like that."

http://www.radiosca.com/sca-radio.html

"Crystal-clear Catholic Radio listening in Central Indiana"

"A special $20 radio, tuned to Catholic Radio Indy! The Metrosonix MS Y2K S is an FM radio that also has a setting tuned to the 'FM Subcarrier' (often abbreviated as SCA) signal from a local classical radio station that now carries our programming, too! This same technology has been used for many years by the 'background music industry'—think Muzak —to deliver music to stores and businesses in large areas."

http://tinyurl.com/cwldlk


"Road-Testing the FMeXtra"

"A radio station could use FMeXtra to multicast one or two additional program channels. The station would have to promote and sell radios and car radio converters to its existing listeners. Alternately, there are groups, such as religious and ethnic organizations, that would like to have a radio station to program to their specific audience on a full-time basis. An FMeXtra channel could be leased to such interests. An AM radio station could simulcast its programming on an FMeXtra channel with better audio fidelity and, in some cases, better coverage both night and day. In summary, FMeXtra is an economical and quick way for an FM station to add additional programming channels and to begin digital broadcasting."

http://www.rwonline.com/article/276


"What is AM Stereo?"

"AM Stereo provides the highest quality of AM radio enjoyment available with today's refined and secure analog technologies, without the prohibitive expense and unproven, troublesome performance of the currently experimental digital AM broadcast systems such as IBOC, HD Radio, and DRM. AM Stereo is affordable to implement, both for radio stations transmitting it and for radio sets receiving it, and it is an investment that is backed with an established base of use and support all around the world that now dates back more than 20 years."

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/kevtronics/

DAB: Rollout

"The Register: In the ditch with DAB radio"

"Paradoxically, the greatest obstacle is that the UK’s existing FM analogue radio transmission system already provides amazingly robust radio reception to 99 per cent of the population... For commercial radio, the Working Group’s recommendation that it invest in launching further digital-only services to attract listeners to the DAB platform would only exacerbate the sector’s precarious financial situation. In fact, 2008 witnessed the closure of many digital radio brands – TheJazz, OneWord, Core, Virgin Radio Groove, Capital Life, Mojo Radio – that had already failed to generate sufficient audiences or revenues... In terms of UK market penetration, nearly a decade after the DAB platform launched, only a minority of consumers are demonstrating an interest in purchasing DAB radio receivers. 79 per cent of new radios sold during the last 12 months were analogue rather than DAB... In 2007, 2.4 million new vehicles were registered in the UK, of which around a third offered the option to include a DAB radio as a standard ‘line-fit’ or as an optional extra. Yet only 20,000 buyers chose to install a DAB radio. It is estimated that, out of 34 million cars on the road in the UK, only 170,000 to 200,000 presently have DAB radios fitted... Whilst an increasing proportion of audio listening is now taking place ‘on the move’, the DAB platform will not benefit from the strategies of global mobile ‘phone manufacturers to incorporate FM radio and/or Wi-Fi connectivity within their devices."

http://tinyurl.com/bkldbc

"Finalist Fiascos: DAB, the digital radio"

"The estimated investment on digital radio has been of 50 million euros in Spain, an amount that got to 350 million thanks to the help of the other six European countries that believed in this technology. In Catalonia the fiasco was accomplished in November 2008, when after ten years without an audience, the Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals -the Public Catalan Media Corporation- brought digital radio broadcasting to a halt."

http://tinyurl.com/d7gpa5

"Germany flicks off-switch on DAB"

"Part of the problem is that analogue FM never went away and most people didn't seem to care for the clear digital-quality sound, and were left nonplussed by such benefits as easy tuning and message displays with song names and titles. DAB is struggling almost everywhere in Europe."

http://tinyurl.com/622fos

"Macquarie Radio execs: delays have killed the future of digital radio"

"Macquarie Radio Network says years of delays had killed the future of digital radio, which was being overtaken by broadband services, third-generation mobiles and digital devices such as iPods, reports Australian IT."

http://tinyurl.com/34p4lz

"Digital Radio in Canada"

"The Commission is very concerned about the stalled DRB transition. Roughly 15 of the 76 authorized stations (including the digital-only operation in Toronto) are not on the air. Some stations that once operated have since ceased operations. Few recievers have been sold, and there is no interest in expanding DRB service beyond the six cities where it exists."

http://tinyurl.com/cstact

"Death of Digital Radio Mondiale in 2008 as well?"

"From both formal and informal discussions among participants at the HFCC, it is now clear that the proposed DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) system, that would have converted analogue Shortwave to digital, FM like quality reception would hardly be implemented if ever on a large scale, beyond the current experimental stage."

http://tinyurl.com/b6z5lr


"The Digital One DAB radio multiplex"

"Its monopoly over the DAB infrastructure is valuable in itself, even if the capacity is mostly unused. Its gatekeeper role enables it to push its own digital services to listeners, at the expense of competitors and potential competitors. High carriage fees for external users will quickly put them out of business. Listeners will lap up its own controlling shareholder’s content on the DAB platform, however little is invested in its production (one computer + 100 CDs = digital radio station). Control of a broadcast platform is alone sufficient to create a profitable monopolistic business."

http://tinyurl.com/cspq4p

"DAB radio: now you hear it, now you don't"

"This would not be the first time that the marketing of DAB radio in the UK has come under legal scrutiny for potentially misleading consumers. In 2004, Ofcom banned an advertisement broadcast on London station Jazz FM which had claimed falsely that DAB radio offers consumers CD-quality sound. In 2005, the Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint against DAB multiplex owner Switchdigital for a misleading radio advert which had claimed that DAB radio was distortion free and crystal clear. In its verdict, the ASA said it had received no evidence to show that DAB digital radio was superior to analogue radio in terms of audio quality... So, it would appear that, from 2004 onwards the UK radio industry has continued to market and sell millions of DAB radios to UK consumers, in the full knowledge that its DAB transmission infrastructure requires a significant upgrade to provide consumers with sufficiently robust DAB radio reception in built-up areas and in homes."

http://tinyurl.com/c2f9e4