HD Radio on the Medium Wave (AM) band

Study: Americans Still Unfamiliar With HD Radio

2012-02-01T06:10:00.000-08:00

Nearly five years into this grand experiment, and most of the public still doesn't know what HD radio really is ("zero progress") and the numbers are shrinking...

Study: Americans Still Unfamiliar With HD Radio

Research and strategy firm Mark Kassof & Co. has conducted a new survey that shows a continued "knowledge gap" among consumers when it comes to HD Radio. The research findings, based on 670 telephone interviews in the U.S., show that 54 percent of 18- to 64-year-olds have "heard of" HD Radio, which is down from 67 percent in a 2008 study. Included in that 54 percent, however, are 16 percent who have only heard of HD Radio and don't know anything about it.

The #1 image of HD Radio is that it delivers better audio quality. Twenty percent of respondents express that view, which is essentially flat from 2008 (21 percent). But for many, better quality sound is not something they actually know about HD Radio. Rather, it's something they infer based on their knowledge of HDTV. Other findings show that only 8 percent understand that HD Radio delivers more channels and choices, which also is identical to the 2008 survey. And 6 percent have the misconception that HD Radio is satellite radio.

Firm President Mark Kassof states, "The results show a decline in awareness and zero progress in listeners' understanding of HD radio. The industry still has much work to do promoting HD radio and selling its benefits."

HD RADIO - IT'S JUST TOO COMPLICATED

2012-01-04T19:20:00.000-08:00

HD RADIO - IT'S JUST TOO COMPLICATED
Dan Halyburton

Part 1
Part 2

I started to write about the content offerings of HD Radio and the deeper I was in, I reached the conclusion that while the new “band” shows some promise, the whole thing is just too damn complicated. There is a significant price that Radio is paying for this complexity.

More Heartache on HD

2011-04-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

Literally, that's the first tag line on the flash page that welcomed me when I went to the newly re-done hdradio.com website: "More Heartache on HD" (along with "more music on HD...more chill on HD...more relaxing on HD..."). How fitting an admission!

Also, now that the Zune HD has been discontinued, the number of portable HD-capable players available is exactly... two - both Best Buy Insignia house brand models. Remember the old days when you'd see industry leaders like Sony followed by other companies like Panasonic, Sharp, etc. fielding quality portable radios? Not for this turkey of a technology, I guess.

http://www.hdradio.com/buyers-guide/hd-radio-player

The NSHD-01 gets respectable feedback but the NSHD-02 has reviews calling it a "joke", saying "don't bother" - both for the user interface and the reception, it seems.

Microsoft cancels Zune HD leaving one last portable HD radio on the market

2011-03-22T04:06:00.000-07:00

Microsoft cancels Zune HD leaving one last portable HD radio on the market

This week Bloomberg reported that Microsoft will introduce no new versions of its Zune HD portable music device. Conceived as a competitor to Apple’s market-dominating iPod line, the Zune added an HD Radio receiver in 2009, making it one of only two portable HD radios available. The other comes from the Best Buy Insignia house brand, which has a touch-screen making it look like an MP3 player, even though it’s only a radio.It appears that Microsoft will retain the Zune brand which includes a music store platform accessible on the XBox games system and Windows smartphones. But none of those devices includes HD Radio reception.

While iBiquity, owner of the HD Radio technology, cheered the technology’s inclusion in the Zune, it’s doubtful that any significant number of consumers chose a Zune specifically for its HD Radio. Similarly, I doubt many people bought an iPod Nano because of the radio. I’m certain that a small segment of buyers are won over to a model in order to get a radio, but other features are likely a bigger determinant.

Detroit Pistons moved to CBS due to HD Radio interference?

2011-02-11T04:17:00.000-08:00

Detroit Pistons moved to CBS due to HD Radio interference?

Pete Skorich, Detroit Pistons Director of Broadcasting, addressed a rumor that RBR-TVBR heard regarding a rate reduction in The Detroit Pistons contract with Clear Channel’s Sports WDFN-AM 1130 kHz over poor reception in the evenings. Details had it that 50-kW KMOX St. Louis (1120) and 50-kW WRVA Richmond (1140) were killing WDFN’s nighttime signal because of their skywave HD Radio carriers on 1130. Well, Skorich tells us there was no rate reduction but instead a complete move to CBS Radio’s The Ticket (WXYT) simulcast of 97.1 and 1270 some two years ago.
But he did note it was because of reception complaints: “That was one of the components, and we were with them for five years. They had a weak signal and we were getting a lot of people that could not hear us. It could have been [because of] HD Radio, but at the time we were totally unaware of it.”

AM HD Radio Has Stalled. Now What?

2010-09-07T04:23:00.000-07:00

AM HD Radio Has Stalled. Now What?

by Leslie Stimson, 08.31.2010

AM HD Radio, it seems, is the stepchild of the digital world.
Proponents point to AM HD’s dramatic improvement in audio quality over that of analog. But several experts say that, at best, AM HD is having mixed success. Many even characterize it as struggling or not successful. Others, however, say it’s too early to tell what its future will be.

HD Radio on AM – Not worth it

2010-09-07T04:18:00.000-07:00

HD Radio on AM – Not worth it

August 29th, 2010 by Paul Riismandel in HD Radio

One of the supposed advantages of HD Radio is improved fidelity over analog. As I observed in my listening test of HD on FM, there’s almost no real improvement for HD over the analog signal. The advantage for HD on FM, then, is the addition of one or two more channels of audio. However, due to the more limited sonics of analog AM radio, we are led to expect HD AM stations to offer significantly better fidelity; they don’t offer any additional channels.

But compared to FM, there are much fewer HD stations on AM. This is largely due to the fact that the AM band is seriously congested, with quite a bit of interference. Adding an HD Radio IBOC side-channel to a station greatly increases the potential for interference to adjoining analog stations. A secondary reason is that the AM band is dominated by talk radio formats where fidelity improvement is less important.

HD Radio "Practically Buried Again"

2010-09-04T20:06:00.001-07:00

From a translated article, Switzerland has switched off HD radio:

Praktisch schon wieder beerdigt


HD-Initiant Ruoss sieht Projekt gescheitert. HD-initiator Ruoss provides project failed.

Five private radio stations presented in February 2010 an application for an HD Radio (digital FM ") from autumn 2010. Die technische Konzession erhielten sie dann im Juni. The technical concession, they then received in June. Und nun dies: Markus Ruoss, Inhaber von Radio Sunshine und einer der HD-Initianten, gab am RadioDay sozusagen die Beerdigung des Projektes HD-Radio Schweiz bekannt. And now this: Markus Ruoss, owner of Sunshine Radio and the HD-initiators, announced on RadioDay known, as it were the burial of the project HD Radio Switzerland.

AM IBOC Stations on (off?) the Air

2010-09-04T20:01:00.001-07:00

From Barry McLarnon's website, the latest roll-call of stations that have switched off AM IBOC...

Stations which previously ran IBOC but currently have it turned off completely are shown in green (nearly 50 as of September 2010):

AM IBOC Stations on the Air

HD Radio Shouldn't Be This Hard

2010-09-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

HD Radio Shouldn't Be This Hard

by Thomas R. Ray III, 08.11.2010

NEW WINDSOR, N.Y. — Unless we give Joe Consumer a reason to go out and purchase an HD Radio for his car — until he can obtain it easily and at a reasonable cost, and a device that works — I fear that HD Radio is going to go the way of FM quad and AM stereo, relegated to the scrap pile of history.
This statement may surprise you, coming from me. I'm the vice president/corporate director of engineering for Buckley Broadcasting/WOR Radio, New York City. As you may be aware from news reports and my own commentaries, I've been a vocal HD Radio supporter; indeed our station WOR was the one of the first AMs on the air with an HD Radio signal.

The author contemplated the install of his new Kenwood KDC-HD545U, featuring built-in HD Radio…

HD Car Radio Investigation

2010-09-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

Now the trial lawyers are smelling blood... never a good sign:

HD Car Radio Investigation

The trial lawyers at Keefe Bartels, LLC are currently investigating the marketing and sales of HD car radios by certain car manufacturers. HD radios utilize a technology by which AM and FM radio stations transmit both audio and data signals along with their analog signals. HD radios are frequently touted as cutting edge technology which will dramatically improve sound quality, provide new benefits to the user and enhance the radio listening experience. In recent years HD car radios have been included in various high end automobiles. HD radios are also frequently sold as an add-on feature for such luxury brands as BMW and Jaguar.

(snip)

Despite the increased sales of HD car radios and the growing number of radio stations transmitting digitally, there are continual complaints about the technology and these audio devices. HD car radios are plagued by an inability to receive the digital signals transmitted by FM and AM radio stations and a significantly reduced sound quality when such signals are received. Such problems coupled with the increased costs for HD car radios call into question the utility of this supposed technological innovation. Consumers are being enticed to purchase HD car radios that commonly fail to perform or provide any benefits and features. The additional cost to the consumer is both unwarranted and unnecessary when the HD radios do not work as they are supposed to.

Despite iBiquity’s claims of improved sound quality and transmission, there have been numerous complaints about HD Radio from not only the radio industry but also consumers. These complaints have included:

-Radio receiver bumping station from HD to analog mode;

-Echo sound heard when the radio switches between HD and analog modes;

-Crackling or static sound when HD mode is inactive;

-Insufficient numbers of HD Radio stations;

-Loss of signal while driving in valleys or between high buildings;

-Signal disruption for environmental conditions; and

-Adjacent channel interference.

Now Tom Ray is doubting HD Radio?!

2010-09-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Now Tom Ray is doubting HD Radio?!

The Buckley Broadcasting VP/Director of Engineering, who oversees 50-kW WOR-AM NY, posted an opinion piece in a trade pub this month that holds some real doubts about AM HD Radio’s viability. Now this might not be a big deal to some, but Tom is, and has always been, one of HD Radio’s biggest supporters. The article mentions his attempts to buy a Ford Escape at a local NY State dealership that hopefully included a factory HD Radio. Ford was supposed to be offering it as an option for 2010 models, from what he understood.
No one at the dealership knew anything about HD Radio and all there said he was the first and only person who has ever asked about it.
Ray tells RBR-TVBR: “On the dealer side, it doesn’t surprise me, because if they’re not fed the information from the corporate home in Detroit, they’re not going to know what it is. They are told, ‘Here is your Sirius display,’ which quite frankly, there’s a huge Sirius display right there in the showroom. They’re told, ‘Here’s Sirius radio—push it.’
He adds, “What was very dismaying was the fact that when I talked to people at Ford, there wasn’t one person over there who could help me and most of them also told me I was the very first call they’ve ever had on HD Radio. So at least they knew what it was, but nobody could direct me.”
Tom ended up buying the car anyway and went through hell and high water to buy and install aftermarket HD Radio gear and other devices like XM Satellite Radio to make it work with the car’s Sync system. He finally got it all working, but it wasn’t easy and the car is certainly now a target for petty theft.

Among AM HD Users, Opinions Vary

2010-09-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

Among AM HD Users, Opinions Vary
by Randy J. Stine, 09.02.2010

The experiences of broadcast engineers managing AM HD Radio signals appear to vary greatly.

(snip)

Noncommercial WKAR(AM) in East Lansing, Mich., launched HD Radio in 2005 but turned off the digital carrier in 2009, according to Harold Beer, chief engineer for WKAR, which is licensed to Michigan State University.

“After years of encouraging listeners to get better quality wideband AM radios, we ended up degrading their listening experience with a 5 kHz bandwidth, –35 dB SNR analog signal once we turned on the IBOC digital,” Beer said.

“We also collected a number of negative comments due to the digital carrier, including complaints about the buzz that was always present, especially if a listener had an analog tuned radio that was slightly off-channel.” WKAR is a daytime directional AM operating on 870 kHz with 10 kW.

The future for AM HD Radio doesn't feel nearly as secure (according to iBiquity!)

2010-05-20T04:33:00.000-07:00

This, direct from iBiquity's own website...

The future for AM HD Radio doesn't feel nearly as secure. Ibiquity seems to have made a concession to the reality of staying alive here and now on the medium-wave band by offering a compromise mode of AM IBOC that trades down digital bandwidth for acceptable analog audio quality. Among AM license holders, interest these days seems to have shifted from a digital solution to AM's woes to what's available in the next FM translator filing window. To be sure, AM IBOC still has a few champions, but looking at receivers, it's clear their passion isn't moving anyone at the retail level. Long wavelengths remain a huge handicap in an era of tiny, processor-driven devices.

Oh Well, On With The Experiment

2010-04-23T04:02:00.000-07:00

Oh Well, On With The Experiment

by Barry McLarnon
Radio World
April 21 2010
Page 5

"The saga continues... on the AM side, the saga seems pretty much concluded: the ship has sprung a leak and is badly listing. The number of AM IBOC stations plateaued several years ago and now seems to be slowly declining. The system was torpedoed by poor nighttime performance, interference problems, and the lack of any real selling point, like new audio services And now we have the specter of an FM IBOC power increase."

Mexico is set to elect IBOC

2010-04-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

The country's regulator is expected to formalize the decision this spring:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/rw_20100407/#/45/OnePage

Navigating Convergence: Charting Canadian Communications Change and Regulatory Implications

2010-02-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

IBOC isn't getting a rousing endorsement north of the border...

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/rp1002.pdf

Broadcast digital radio

Although broadcast digital radio was generally considered to have a key role in alleviating spectrum scarcity in major markets, the L-band DAB and IBOC technologies have been slow to evolve in Canada, to the extent that there is considerable doubt as to whether they will have a role to play in shaping Canada’s future radio landscape.

L-band DAB

Industry Canada and the Commission proposed L-band DAB, defined as 1452-1492 MHz, as a replacement technology in the mid-90s, believing that AM and FM radio stations would voluntarily migrate to L-band to take advantage of the superior sound quality associated with the technology.

The Commission licensed digital radio services (79 authorized, 44 on-air as of June 2007) using L-band DAB, based on the Eureka-147 standard. However, widespread migration to the L-band has not materialized as planned. From a consumer standpoint, L-band also has several drawbacks, including the lack of original services and the limited availability and cost of receivers on the market.

Furthermore, the U.S. did not follow Canada’s lead and in October of 2002, the FCC adopted IBOC instead of L-band DAB as the digital radio standard. Also, in a May 2007 letter to the Commission, Industry Canada announced that it had stopped issuing broadcasting certificates for L-band transmitters and is awaiting the results of a future policy review to determine the future of the L-band in Canada. This has led to considerable doubt about the future prospects of L-band in Canada.

IBOC

While a number of radio stations (1,750 out of 13,000 AM/FM stations) in the U.S. are operating IBOC transmitters, sales of receivers remain sluggish. Further, AM IBOC rollout has essentially stopped in the U.S. in 2008 due to interference issues.

For its part, the Commission, through its digital radio policy (Broadcasting Public Notice 2006- 160),89 stated that it would be prepared to authorize services using the IBOC technology. Industry Canada is preparing rules and regulations for the operation of IBOC which could include an amendment to FM Broadcasting Procedures and Rules (BPR-3). It is not actively looking at AM IBOC.

However, where the Canadian market is concerned, IBOC is at a very nascent stage and an eventual large-scale deployment in the Canadian market remains highly uncertain.

HD Radio To Go, Or Just Going, Going, Gone?

2009-07-25T04:52:00.000-07:00

HD Radio To Go, Or Just Going, Going, Gone?

Have you, unlike what seems to be the majority of electronics customers, been pining for a cheaper way to try out HD Radio? A new portable model on sale now in Best Buy stores brings the entry-level cost for HD Radio to its lowest point ever, $49.99. But somehow, I don't think it's going to do much for this digital-radio technology's questionable prospects.

Insignia NS-HD01 portable HD radio hands-on and impressions

2009-07-25T04:42:00.000-07:00

Insignia NS-HD01 portable HD radio hands-on and impressions

HD Radio has been desperately trying for years to become important in a world where most Americans are perfectly fine with tinny, 96kbps MP3s, and by and large, it's been unsuccessful.

HD Radio Crying Out to Be Heard

2009-04-10T03:16:00.000-07:00

HD Radio Crying Out to Be Heard

By DAVID POGUE
Published: April 8, 2009

Q: How do you make an HD radio executive bang his head against the wall?

A: Ask him, “What’s HD radio?”

The HD radio alliance has spent millions of dollars on promotion, ads and educational efforts. Yet even after four years of this, most people still don’t have any idea what HD radio is.

HD Radio: The Brand Extension Is Dead

2009-03-07T08:21:00.000-08:00

HD Radio: The Brand Extension Is Dead

A theory that's gaining momentum is that our time is running out to get the public interested in HD Radio. There have been numerous letters to the editor in this very publication where readers compare HD Radio to AM stereo technology. It sounded pretty good if you ever got the chance to hear it, but so what?

HD Radio stalls out

2009-01-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

HD Radio stalls out
by Scott Fybush

So 2008 wasn't "the year" for HD Radio's long=promised breakthrough into mass success, either. A handful of new stations added HD signals, a few others shut theirs off, either temporarily or permanently, and while receiver penetration in the marketplace increased (thanks in part to a few impressive new radios such as Sony's XDR-F1HD), it was only incrementally, not the exponential gains the system's proponents had hoped for.

Any hope of exciting new format development on FM HD multicast channels in the commercial world was pretty well quashed by the budget realities that made funding tight even for main-channel programming; indeed, if there could be said to have been any real trend in HD programming, it was the repurposing of existing programming - mainly CBS' news and talk AM stations - on HD2 and HD3 channels of their FM sister stations.

And when the FCC opened the gates for public comment on a proposal to increase FM digital power levels tenfold to solve one of the system's frequent complaints - poor coverage compared to analog - many commenters were strongly opposed, citing the potential for increased interference to analog listeners. (It's an open question, too, whether cash-strapped broadcasters could or would spend the money needed for such a power increase if it were to be permitted.)

HD on AM radio? While the corpse hasn't quite stopped twitching yet, the AM system ended the year looking awfully stiff, with only a handful of broadcasters (most notably CBS, Crawford and New York's WOR) still pushing it at the corporate level, even as some of their local staffers quietly admitted that the adjacent-channel nighttime interference issues between closely-spaced stations such as WINS, KDKA and WBZ reduced usable analog coverage and rendered the digital signal all but unusable even within much of their home markets at night. And if there was a single new digital AM installation on the air anywhere in NERW-land this year, we don't know about it. (Nor, was there any action on that pending interference complaint from Bob Savage's WYSL against Boston's WBZ.)

As for the long-pending promise of HD as a standard feature in new cars, the auto industry's near-death experience appears to have put a halt on further progress in that area for a while.

Now here's the part where the handful of anti-IBOC diehards over on the message boards (hey, Bob! how's it going, Greg?) will stop quoting: there were also some interesting signs of life on the FM HD side. Several public stations - WRTI in Philadelphia, WNED in Buffalo, WXXI in Rochester, VPR in Vermont, to name a few - found plenty of demand from listeners for programming that was otherwise unavailable on their analog signals, and the advent of less-expensive radios made it possible for them to offer receivers to listeners as pledge-drive premiums. A few adventurous stations - WFUV at Fordham University, WXPN at Penn, WSOU at Seton Hall among them - used their HD subchannels to develop new programming, some of it with live DJs, even. And Emmis found a new commercial application for one of its HD3s in New York: it announced a partnership with a broadcaster who will lease the channel for a South Asian service promising better sound quality and wider reach than the usual SCA subcarriers.

(The rival FMExtra system, for all its staunch supporters, made HD Radio look lively by comparison in 2008; at year's end, it was still receivable by only a single $300 tabletop radio, and looks to have a future primarily as a means of studio-transmitter distribution at the rate things are going.)

Stop IBOC Now!

2008-12-31T15:38:00.001-08:00

from StopIBOC.com:

BY THE NUMBERS

As of September, 2008:

NUMBER OF US AM STATIONS: 4783
AM STATIONS OPERATING “IBOC”: 258
AM STATIONS OPERATING “IBOC” 24-7 DAY AND NIGHT: 87
(the remainer are “digital daytimers” meaning that directional antenna systems used at night will not work properly with HD. The overall figure of 258 includes a number of AM stations noted as “intermittent operation” meaning HD broadcasts may be infrequent or irregular.)

PERCENTAGE OF AM STATIONS OPERATING “IBOC”: 5%

Note: Most AM stations utilizing IBOC do not utilize the system at night. According to IBOC proponents, as of October 2007, “fewer than 100 stations” are utilizing the system because of skywave adjacent-channel interference problems (see “DROPPING LIKE FLIES,” this site.) An unknown number of AM stations using IBOC are “daytimers” meaning they have no nighttime authority under any circumstances, or are “daytimers with post-sunset authority” meaning they have very small nighttime operating power. Since IBOC utilizes only about 1/100th of AM carrier power the system would not work reliably with the usual PSSA authorized station, operating with only 5 to 50 watts, so daytimers are not candidates for nighttime use of the system.

For a running pop-count of AM stations operating IBOC, a constantly updated list including data from numerous sources: http://topazdesigns.com/iboc/station-list.html

Summer 2008: CLEAR CHANNEL STOPS NIGHT IBOC ON WRVA RICHMOND TO PROTECT CO-OWNED ADJACENT-CHANNEL STATIONS IN MIDWEST

Although radio’s biggest company (and a major investor in iBiquity), Clear Channel has moved decisively to end adjacent-channel IBOC interference emanating from its heritage flagship WRVA 1140 in Richmond, VA. CC won’t comment publicly but internal sources tell stopiboc.com that nighttime IBOC has ceased on WRVA because of destructive interference to three high-power AM stations the company owns in Detroit, Milwaukee and Minneapolis operating on adjacent 1130 kHz.

The 1130s all operate with powers between 10 and 25kw at night and utilize complex 9-tower directional arrays, and are highly impacted by the nighttime noise from Richmond.

Summer 2008: 50KW KMJ 580 FRESNO TURNS OFF IBOC

CBS, a stalwart booster of IBOC and investor in iBiquity and the HD Alliance, has stopped IBOC on legendary KMJ. No reason was given publicly.

Summer 2008: KTCT 1050 SILENCES IBOC IN SAN MATEO

The 50kw Cumulus outlet in San Mateo, CA, has stopped its IBOC operation without explanation to the public.

They’re turning off HD in Washington, DC

2008-12-31T15:31:00.000-08:00

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

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).

RBR/TVBR observation: The most likely culprit is licensing fees. Just not worth it for some in tough economic times. Also, these FMs did not have HD multicast (HD2) signals, and two of them were broadcasting in mono—so what’s the point? For the AM side, unless you are 50,000 watts, most radios can’t pick up AM HD very far from the tower array. WFED is 50-kW, but you’d never know it because of its higher frequency—just doesn’t propagate well.

We got 2008 about half right – now for 2009

2008-12-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

We got 2008 about half right – now for 2009

Hey, nobody said our crystal ball was without clouds. We peered into its misty interior about this time last year and jotted down what we thought we saw, and the result was a batting average of somewhere around .500. That’s good enough to guarantee instant enshrinement in baseball’s Hall of Fame, but if we posted the same .500 on our first grade exam results, we’d be looking at repeating that grade again. Since we aren’t about to do that, we’ll be content to audaciously repeat our attempt at prognostication again for 2009. Read them, if you dare.

(...)

* HD Radio licenses will not be renewed with many broadcasters.

(...)

Cap-Ex Will Be Taut in '09

2008-12-31T15:26:00.000-08:00

Cap-Ex Will Be Taut in '09

by Randy J. Stine, 12.30.2008

Corporate radio engineering managers acknowledge that this fall's capital budgeting process for 2009 was especially tough as revenue and cash flow dip and as credit for projects and purchases has become more difficult to obtain.

Faced with another year of economic uncertainty and now, officially, a full-blown recession, broadcasters are being forced to prioritize capital spending on equipment and facility buildouts, industry insiders say.

Even broadcast equipment manufacturers and suppliers — who as a group tend to use optimistic language whenever describing the state of their business — believe spending by stations is likely to be very conservative in 2009. The impact will be felt in HD Radio deployments and large RF projects, some experts believe.

iBiquity Collecting Retail Tales

2008-11-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0121/t.16269.html

How many stories have you heard where someone asked to see the HD Radios in a consumer electronics store, and that person was directed to the satellite radio displays? If you go into a CE retailer and don't see HD Radios on display, or they're not turned on or are in a closed display case, talk to the store manager, and drop a line to iBiquity Digital.

iBiquity wants to hear about retail experiences for HD Radio, both good and bad. That's according to Vice President, Broadcast Business Development Scott Stull, who spoke during yesterday's HD Radio Webinar hosted by Broadcast Electronics.

[they may want to start with this report - ed.]

IBOC+Satellite? Subscribers Not Impressed

2008-11-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.16267.html

Commenters Oppose Rules to Mandate It in Their Radios

When the Federal Communications Commission okayed the merger of Sirius and XM this August, commissioners pledged to initiate a Notice of Inquiry on the issue of requiring satellite radios to also receive IBOC signals "or any other technologies capable of providing audio entertainment services," according to the decision.

Radio World peeked into MM Docket 08-172. Initial public comments were due Nov. 10 and replies are due on Dec. 9.

As of mid-October, there had been about 30 comments filed, mostly from satellite radio subscribers who opposed a mandate, as well as an amateur radio operator who opposed it and one broadcaster who supported the concept.

Exploring HD-R Availability in Philly

2008-11-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

So how is HD Radio doing in Philly? Badly.

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

HD Radio Gear: The Good and the Better

2008-04-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.thestreet.com/s/hd-radio-gear-the-good-and-the-better/newsanalysis/personal-technology/10413394.html?puc=googlefi&cm_ven=GOOGLEFI&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA

There's AM, FM, shortwave, satellite, Wi-Fi -- and now HD.

HD Radio is the broadcasters' answer to XM(XMSR - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) and Sirius(SIRI - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) -- digital streams of music and talk that are broadcast on the FM dial -- along with the stereo analog signals we've listened to for years.

(There's HD AM broadcasting too, but since the AM band is mostly for speech, and not music, HD AM doesn't really matter at the moment.)

AM radio not feeling buzz of digital

2008-03-31T18:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/033008/STE_BG6GEEC2.004.php

We always expect technology to come running to our rescue. The latest cell phone or computer always packs more power or features, so the last thing you'd expect would be a technological advance that takes us a step backward.

But that's the story when it comes to digital AM radio. Now, don't be confused: Digital FM radio is being rolled out -albeit very slowly - without problems when it comes to reception. It's on the old AM dial where the trouble is.

You remember AM - where top 40 once ran free with jabberjaw deejays, jangling jingles and near-constant promotion. Today's youth are probably barely aware of the band's existence, living in their "I" world of iPods and iTunes.

Yet AM radio now faces a problem more insidious than just being ignored. A so-called technological upgrade - the conversion to a digital delivery system - threatens to turn the dial into a sea of static.

Let’s Go Shopping: HD Radio in Cincy

2008-03-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

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

One Man’s Buying Experience in Ohio Suggests The Receiver Push Is Having Mixed Success

by Thom Moon, 3.12.2008

Moon has spent more than 30 years in radio, mostly developing and analyzing audience research; he describes himself as an even longer-term, all-around radio geek. Reach him at tsmoon@zoomtown.com.

There has been any number of stories in the trades about the lack of HD Radios at retailers and retail people who know little or nothing about the technology.

Radio World suggested that I see if that had changed any recently.

So I made the rounds of stores that sell electronics in the Cincinnati area. What I found was some improvement; but a lot is yet needed.

Black Friday for HD Radio

2008-03-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

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

Black Friday for HD Radio

This week's Convergence conference in San Jose was a terrific gathering of broadcasters and their partners who feel radio's best days might very well lay ahead. No sticks in the mud, these. Rather, folks with brains and vision and a plan, or at least the hopes of developing one.

This was no place for spin doctors and conventional wisdom. So I was not surprised when Kurt Hanson spoke on radio's future with an emphasis on radio's inevitable future on the Internet.

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.

HD: If a Tree Falls & No One Hears It . . .

2008-02-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/08/AR2008020801035.html

Chasing an audience that has migrated to iPods, Internet radio, pay satellite services and the burgeoning world of cellphone music, the AM and FM radio industry has spent the past couple of years beckoning listeners to discover the "secret stations" of HD radio.

But what is the secret? If you were to shell out somewhere between $80 and $300 for a new radio capable of receiving the digital signals that have added about 1,600 stations across the country, what would you hear?

I spent the better part of a week listening to the HD offerings on Washington stations, and came away impressed by the commitment two stations have made to the new technology but underwhelmed by the great majority of what's on HD.

Turning some tight corners for IBOC

2008-01-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0054/t.10984.html

The Big Picture by Skip Pizzi
Radio World Feb 1 2008

Sentiment against AM IBOC is gradually morphing from a fringe movement to a serious threat, as official complaints are being filed with the FCC and major AM stations are pulling the plug on their IBOC exciters. It will be interesting to see what response comes from the FCC in the coming months, if any.

The lack of strong consumer interest in HD Radio is well documented, and the longer this malaise continues, the harder it will be to reverse.

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

2008-01-27T10:08:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/leslie_report/

Jan 28 2008

Much has been written about large-market adoption of IBOC. A college instructor has been tracking conversions in smaller markets in Pennsylvania and identifies several factors as so-called “gating” items for its success.

Gary McIntyre, a broadcasting/mass communications instructor at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, in the northern portion of that state, tells me he mailed out 100 questionnaires to stations in Arbitron markets No. 150 and higher.

The survey consisted of 15 questions asked of station GMs, ops managers and CEs; the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters provided contact information.

McIntyre asked them whether the stations intended to convert their facilities in the next 12 months; he also made queries about multicasting, HD-R receiver availability and station promotion of IBOC.

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.

CNET Review - Sangean HDR-1 - portable radio

2008-01-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

http://reviews.cnet.com/radio-tuners/sangean-hdr-1-portable/4505-7866_7-32399249.html

Of course, we can't let a discussion of the Sangean HDR-1 end without listing our major gripe--that the whole HD Radio format doesn't (for most people) deliver a particularly major improvement over the analog radio experience. To our ears, the HD Radio stations weren't delivering a dramatic improvement over their analog counterparts. And while we welcomed the presence of digital-only HD2 stations on the dial, many of them seemed to be noticeably compressed--more MP3 than CD. Moreover, the data streams seemed limited to artist, song, and show title information. That's nice, but nothing that can't be done with RDS information on analog stations, and some of the HD stations seem to lack the informational displays altogether. While the digital stations certainly offer static-free reception, that's only if they're within range; a distant HD station will drop in and out if it's too far away. Even more disturbing is that some nearby HD stations seem to blink out randomly--the cell-phone-like signal meter drops a full six bars to zero and then shoots back up again a few seconds later, even when the radio is completely stationary. To reiterate, none of these problems are the fault of Sangean HDR-1. The same issues exist on the Polk I-Sonic and Cambridge 820HD, and will continue to exist for any and all HD Radio receivers until the stations decide to offer more bandwidth and better data support.

Constructive Dialogue On The Future Of Audio Entertainment, from Edison Media Research

2008-01-12T06:13:00.000-08:00

http://www.infinitedial.com/hd_radio/

This links to a collection of postings specifically on HD Radio; check out all the other information on the site.

High-def radio is here, but is anyone listening?

2008-01-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

http://www.sltrib.com/technology/ci_7852904

Radio fanatics can't get high definition tuners installed in their Lexus nor can they currently purchase one at a local Circuit City store.
But 19 Utah stations are broadcasting 31 high-definition radio channels with six more coming soon. And the University of Utah's KUER has been raising money to help it add a classical and alternative rock station to its news, talk and jazz channel.
It seems the stations are investing in technology the public isn't quite ready to embrace.

HD Radio's New Campaign

2007-12-28T19:42:00.000-08:00

http://jacobsmedia.typepad.com/jacobs/2007/12/hd-radios-new-1.html

I would love to see HD Radio work. I really would.

But in order to "break" a new medium/gadget in this new millennium, it's going to take clever tactics, brilliant strategy, and on-target execution. These are qualities that have been in short supply since the Alliance was formed. Another Christmas comes and goes, and the celebration over a half million radios sold is about as meaningless as a big defensive lineman celebrating after a sack in a game his team is losing by five touchdowns.

Declare Victory and Pull Out of HD Radio

2007-12-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/2007/12/declare-victory-and-pull-out-of-hd.html

Radio executives are not dumb.

They may be arrogant enough to think their old business model will work in the future, but as the pain of declining audiences and revenue proliferates they’ll even deal with that.

So why, you ask, is the industry so secretive, silent and shameful when it comes to HD radio?

It’s a flop by any measurement.

8 N ‘08 4 HD

2007-12-19T17:29:00.000-08:00

http://www.paragonmediastrategies.com/theblog/?cat=3

Yes…The Hazy Dust is clearing now. There they are — The Eight You-Saw-Them-Here-First Predictions For HD Radio in 2008:

1. Desperate for share-of-mind, HD Radios will be given away for free. Think cell phones, book & music clubs, AOL discs, and 0% auto financing. (but, will people want them?)

2. HD Radio will travel two forks in the road: Public and Talk Radio will lead with innovative programming on their HD-2 channels; HD taking the early steps toward becoming a new Information “band.” Simultaneously, HD-2 music channels will become the new Muzak, but very localized. Most sales will come from in-business fees and other non-conventional sponsorships.

3. Many stations won’t waste their time with HD-2 sub-brands, concentrating, instead, on promoting the advantages for their main, HD-1, Digital signal only.

4. A Democrat winning the White House in ’08 will ignite a creative opportunity for a new breed of Political Talk on HD-2’s, the second channel becoming a problem-solver, not an albatross.

5. If the number of sets grow, after-market applications will begin sneaking forward (a more logical and listener-friendly dial, grouping similar formats together, Cable-like interfaces, integration with Microsoft’s in-car Sync, etc.). That is a mighty big “IF.”

6. Equipment makers will put Radio on notice – Higher awareness of HD, better content, a heartbeat on the sales charts or HD Radio production lines will be shut down.

7. Ordering HD Radio as an equipment option in new cars will be a bust (see #1) . Moon roof or HD Radio? No brainer.

8. Two, perhaps three, major Radio groups will break away from the Alliance citing their desire to produce more relevant, ingenious, and compelling product than Alliance membership allows.

My Crystal Ball goes dark and blank when I look for HD Radio beyond 2008. Very dark. Very blank.

HOW TO COMPLAIN TO THE FCC AND INTERFERING STATIONS

2007-12-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

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

For station operators receiving harmful IBOC interference:

Don't be fatalistic.

DO NOT accept harmful interference as inevitable conesequences of the NAB's misfeasance and the political power of Big Group Radio. GET AN INTERFERENCE COMPLAINT ON FILE with the FCC. Get started on it right away! There IS something you can do to protect you, your employees, your listeners and your investment in your radio station!

For listeners and members of the general public:

You can submit FCC complaints through the Federal Communications Commission website, www.fcc.gov. While this "doesn't hurt," understand that the Commission doesn't accord a lot of weight to technical complaints filed by the general public…at least not until the number of complaints reach "a critical mass" and start to get the attention of the Mass Media Bureau and politicians close to the FCC.

IBOC-AM hasn't gotten there yet. But, given the abysmal performance of the system in the field, it's only a matter of time. So your complaint can help move this along.

Another View: Hey, AM HD-R Critics: Got a Better Idea?

2007-12-19T16:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.10299.html

Naysayers Should Offer a Cost-Effective, Feasible Alternative or Put a Cork in It

by Stephen Poole, 12.19.2007
Stephen Poole is market chief engineer for Crawford Broadcasting Co., Birmingham, Ala., and a contributor to Radio World. Opinions are his own.

As a market chief engineer who has installed HD-R systems on two AMs and three FMs, I’d like to throw in my own two cents’ worth. In particular, I want to address the negative comments that have been made about AM HD-R in this magazine. The following are my own opinions and observations, not necessarily those of my employer.

My biggest complaint about the complainers — i.e., those who want to dismiss AM HD-R — is that they propose no real, feasible and realistic alternative. You get the impression that these naysayers want to keep AM as it is, in spite of its many problems and the precipitous decline in listenership in recent decades.

Okay, suppose they get their way: If the decline continues, the day will come when the manufacturers just stop building AM radios due to lack of demand. What will they do then?

2007, A Year to Remember

2007-12-19T16:50:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0054/t.10297.html

Probably topping the list was the release of long-anticipated “final rules” for IBOC, with the FCC’s Second Report and Order on DAB, adopted in March (although not effective until Sept. 15).

Among other things, this made it possible for broadcasters to begin FM IBOC multicasting and Extended Hybrid operation without permission or notice. It also allowed AM IBOC broadcasting at night — a topic that has subsequently proven quite controversial, resulting in numerous complaints, the formation of an anti-IBOC coalition, and one radio group’s (Citadel’s) at least temporary cessation of AM IBOC operation. This debate will undoubtedly continue in 2008.

There were other, more positive IBOC-related movements in the industry during 2007, which you may recall from their in-depth coverage on these pages, and which will likely reappear in more real form in 2008.

NAB Digital Radio Committee to Discuss AM Nighttime IBOC in January

2007-12-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/leslie_report/

The IBOC at night question is on the NAB radar, though. Association officials will be discussing the AM interference question next month.

In his letter to Bob Savage, Rehr continued: “In respect to NAB’s history regarding In-Band On-Channel radio (IBOC), the association has proceeded cautiously over many years with active participation by a broad cross-section of our membership to achieve consensus positions as well as our work with all-industry organizations such as the National Radio Systems Committee.

“Currently, we have an upcoming NAB Digital Radio Committee meeting scheduled in January where we will review input on nighttime AM IBOC and other related issues.”

I’m glad to see NAB planning to talk about nighttime AM IBOC in this committee. A wise engineer suggested to me this week that perhaps the best way to approach this WYSL-WBZ debate is for an independent third party to conduct an engineering study to figure out what’s going on. This could help settle whether what is happening is specifically due to IBOC, or AM atmospheric conditions, or something else.

And, of course, determining who would pay for such a study would be the next step.

WYSL Files Second IBOC Complaint

2007-12-19T16:44:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/leslie_report/

The FCC has received a second complaint about AM interference from WYSL GM Bob Savage.

He says adjacent-channel IBOC noise from WBZ in Boston is disrupting service of his station in Avon, N.Y., during day, night and critical hours.

Savage asked the commission to “take immediate enforcement action.” He told me his station is listenable for only some five hours a day.

He may be the most prominent critic right now, Savage said, but he’s not the only one.

“Martin Stabbert is not an idiot. Bob Neil has concerns. I’m so frustrated. It’s just wrong,” he said, referring to concerns about interference among executives at Citadel and Cox Radio, respectively. “Our business is being destroyed by this.”

Savage told me he offered WBZ, a CBS station, three potential solutions: They could give him an STA for a nighttime power increase; buy his station and turn it off (with no specific price mentioned) or turn off IBOC at night.

A CBS Radio spokeswoman declined comment, as did an FCC official I queried.

Meanwhile Savage also wrote NAB President/CEO David Rehr about this issue. After receiving an e-mail newsletter from Rehr about performance royalties, Savage wrote back to Rehr in strong language: “The NAB conspired with major group broadcasters and with Ibiquity to totally throw stations like WYSL under the HD-AM bus. Thanks to the wonderful National Association of Broadcasters our very existence is threatened — not that you people care.” Savage is not an NAB member.

Rehr responded to Savage in an e-mail shared with me by NAB Radio Department EVP John David. Rehr said NAB does care about independent radio operators and said it had tried to reach out to Savage several times this year to discuss his concerns and membership.

“We are very interested in collecting anecdotal reports about the experiences of stations with operation of AM IBOC at night, both positive and negative, and will consider the input you have provided,” Rehr said.

Let's Have a Reality Check on IBOC

2007-12-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.10298.html

Owner/Engineer Says HD-R Is Never Going to Work

by Larry Langford, 12.19.2007
The author is president and chief engineer of Langford Broadcast LLC, licensee of WGTO(AM), Cassopolis, Mich. and WDOW(AM), Dowagiac, Mich.

As an owner/engineer who has been around this crazy business since the ‘60s, I think I can offer some insight into all this IBOC talk.

At first glance it seemed Ibiquity did everything right. They pulled together several teams to design the digital scheme and got major broadcasters to get behind it.

Ibiquity then designed a perpetual income machine with user fees. But suddenly it became loud and clear, like an old 10-bell bulletin on a teletype machine: For AM it’s not working.

Yes, I can hear the supporters say, “Sure it works. We just have to work out the bugs and give it time to catch on.” And they are so quick to point out how long it took FM to really catch on.

To use that as a benchmark is not only dumb, it’s stupid.

Battle for the Band: AM IBOC Under Siege

2007-12-19T05:49:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0052/t.10171.html

Nighttime Hash Complaints Slow Deployment & Operation of HD on AM Band, Raise Doubts About Success

by Guy Wire, 12.05.2007

The interference fallout of full-time AM HD operations has been scattered and largely anecdotal. According to reports in RW, only one formal complaint has been filed as of this writing. By the time you read this, there likely will be others.

The AM HD rollout has attracted only about 225 licensed stations, mainly the wide-area coverage powerhouses and stations that also bought in early to the promise of 15 kHz stereo. About 175 are operational daytime while less than 70 are thought to be operating at night. That’s less than 2 percent of the total inventory of U.S. AM stations.

Citadel/ABC has kept its AM HD flamethrowers like WABC, WJR and WBAP analog only at night while Cox is still choosing to keep all its AM stations’ IBOC exciters turned off full-time. Clear Channel and CBS still have the majority of their AM stations unequipped for HD.

Many think the handwriting is on the wall and AM HD is in deep trouble.

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

2007-12-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.themonitor.com/news/radio_7098___article.html/digital_new.html

Local radio broadcasters have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new technology to compete with satellite radio and iPods, but almost no one in the Rio Grande Valley is listening.

Retailers say no one is buying HD radios in South Texas despite scattered attempts by broadcasters to promote the digital signal technology, which gives clearer sound and allows stations to send out “sub-channels” of music and information.

HD Radio Has Yet To Take Off

2007-12-18T18:38:00.000-08:00

http://www.nbc5i.com/technology/14878368/detail.html

DALLAS -- Dozens of stations in North Texas are broadcasting in high definition, but few people have the radios to receive it.

Patrick Davis of 106.1 KISS FM, one of 25 stations broadcasting in high definition, said HD radio offers pure digital quality.

"Your favorite radio station comes in crystal clear," he said.

Each radio station can also broadcast side channels, adding nearly 100 more radio stations to choose from in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

"Our HD 2 channel is Pride Radio," Davis said. "It's nothing but dance music and stuff like that."

The additional channels are mostly commercial-free.

The only cost to listen to HD radio is the initial purchase of a player. Prices start at $150.

"The advantage is, there's no fees," Johnnell Robertson, of Radio Shack, said. "There's no subscription fees. It's absolutely free."

HD radio is designed to compete against satellite radio, Robertson said.

But the technology hasn't taken off as expected. NBC 5 could not find one person who owns a hi-def radio and neither could KISS FM's program director.

"I don't know anybody that has one yet," Davis said. "What we're trying to do is just raise awareness that HD radio is out there."

NPR Shop: Home » Radios » HD Radios

2007-12-09T19:03:00.000-08:00

http://shop.npr.org/category/show/3251?ps=trait-rc

HD Digital Radio features more programming choices and dramatically better digital sound quality, and it's free. If your local station is broadcasting in digital, all you need is an HD Radio receiver.

{ed.: "and it's free!" Radios from $130-$250!]

2007 Digital Media Losers

2007-12-08T20:40:00.000-08:00

http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/7002/2007-losers.html

2007 Digital Media Losers
By Richard Menta 12/8/07

1. HD Radio
Why has HD Radio failed to take off? Why does it have lackluster word of mouth? After reviewing several units we found out why.

The makers of the radio units themselves cheaped out on the tuners, which have such poor sensitivity, both a beat-up $20 Sony shower radio and a vintage 1941 Zenith kitchen radio bettered them. What good is an HD receiver when you can barely tune into either analog or HD signals? A perfect example of where $200-$600 buys you inferior quality. Here is a technology adopted by thousands of radio stations - at significant expense - only to be undermined by the radio manufacturers. HD Radio may get a reprieve as Ford offered to put it in all 2008 vehicles. Hopefully, the receivers Ford puts into its automobiles have more sensitive tuners. If they don't, HD radio risks going the way of 8-track tapes and Quadraphonic Sound records.

McLarnon: Enough is Enough

2007-12-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

http://mag1.olivesoftware.com/activemagazine/welcome/RWM/RWM_Dec05-2007.asp

December 5, 2007

Adjacent-channel AM IBOC nighttime interference is not mild

Each and every one of those digital subcarriers contributes to the generation of audible noise in an AM receiver tuned to the first-adjacent channel of an IBOC station, and they must all be considered in any interference analysis.

Featured in the Dec 5 2007 online edition of Radio World Magazine. To read the magazine please click on the magazine image, and go to page 5. Note: this link may only work for the current week.

In Search of an HD-R Receiver

2007-12-05T04:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0049/t.9235.html

by Richard Factor, 10.24.2007

I love radio.

The company at which I strive makes technical radio products, including one for HD Radio. I have been reading about HD Radio for years. I have been listening to ads on a local station for their HD-R channels for more than a year and have checked out IBOC signals on a number of my beautiful spectrum analyzers.

And yet: I had never, not even for an instant, ever heard an HD-R channel, so I decided to purchase one.

Rational Discussion or Luddite Rants?

2007-12-05T04:13:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.9816.html

One Reader Gripes, ‘You Would Have a Better Chance of Resolving the Middle East Conflict Than Getting The Anti-HD Radio AM Group to Have a Rational Discussion About It’

by Paul J. McLane, 11.21.2007
Paul McLane is the Editor in Chief of Radio World US.

“Just taking a run-through of the latest Radio World issue, Oct. 10, and what do I find at the back of the mag? Yet another anti-HD Radio rant by yet another AM Luddite.”

Radio World Online - Hear It Now: IBOC Disappoints (Letter)

2007-12-04T04:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.9918.html

I made a series of short recordings at my cottage at Klinger Lake near White Pigeon, Mich., on the evening of Sept. 19, 2007.

We are roughly 130 miles from these transmitters (WSM, WBBM, WGN, WSCR, WHAS, WJR and WLW). Normally in this area, we can receive all of the Chicago 50 kW stations with a good listenable signal, day or night.

The recordings were made using a Zoom H4 recorder and a GE Superadio III. I made the recordings acoustically because I did this on the spur of the moment, and that also allowed me to say a few words to identify the stations. I have a series of about 12 recordings of a number of stations, including two additional files of WGN and WBBM.

What I found was that in the evening, the IBOC noise sidebands from adjacent-channel stations over on the East Coast were so strong that at times, they completely wiped out the 50 kW Chicago stations that can normally be heard very well in my area. In other cases, the noise was just really annoying.

I listened on other evenings the past week, and the results were the same. What you hear on the recordings is typical of reception in this area. In some cases, it’s even worse — the adjacent-channel interference completely obliterates the desired station only about 130 miles from the city.

IBOC is a failed technology that has no place on the AM dial. It is a huge disaster. If this is the future of AM radio, I will not be listening. There are too many other, better alternatives now!

By the way, WGN sounds bad even in Chicago during the daytime. There is always a hiss in the background. I haven’t measured it, but I’ll bet it’s not even 30 dB down.

Edgar Reihl

Northbrook, Ill.

Keeping Good Time

2007-12-04T04:05:00.000-08:00

http://radiomagonline.com/eyeoniboc/radio_keeping_good_time/

The HD Radio system has an inherent audio delay due to the processing time required in the receiver. Because of this delay, when a station operates in hybrid mode, the analog audio must be delayed to match the digital audio signal so the blend function from analog to digital and back is smooth and transparent. In October, Brian Beezley, an engineer in southern California, applied his passion for RF to evaluate the current state of HD Radio time alignment for the more than 30 stations that he is able to receive at his home. The stations cover the Los Angeles and San Diego markets.

When the time delay is not set properly, the resulting effect can be an annoyance to the listener. When the difference is small, a comb filter effect is applied to the audio. In extreme cases — like that when there is no time delay at all — the digital transition will repeat the previous 8 seconds of audio.

Beezley's results did not show well. A table showing the measured variations is posted on his website at ham-radio.com/k6sti/roster.htm.

Radio World Online - Editorial: AM IBOC in Distress?

2007-12-04T04:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0044/t.9917.html

Some people predicted an “IBOCalypse” when AM HD operations went full-time on Sept. 14. The band would drown in a sea of digital hash, digital doomsdayers warned.

It didn’t happen, at least not yet. But there is plenty to worry about on the AM IBOC front.

First, let’s all agree that not enough stations have been transmitting HD Radio at night to provide a realistic evaluation of the consequences. That argues for calm, although the low activation rate is itself also a measure of the problem; if the system met the needs of AM broadcasters they should be jumping on it.

Citadel Director of Corporate Engineering Martin Stabbert embodied questions about the efficacy of full-time AM HD when he ordered all his AMs that had already converted to cease transmitting HD at night, using language that must have given Ibiquity officials heartburn. Separately and for different immediate reasons, Cox, in a “let’s wait and see” move, has tried HD on most of its AM stations but is taking it off the air day and night, once tested at each facility.

Radio Magazine: Open Mic - Eye on IBOC

2007-12-04T04:00:00.000-08:00

http://radiomagonline.com/eyeoniboc/radio_open_mic_7/

When the FCC Rules allowed AM stations to transmit IBOC signals at night, concerns were raised about the potential interference that would result to all analog stations in AM band. In the end, there hasn't been the doom and gloom destruction of AM radio from nighttime IBOC use, and Radio magazine research has found mixed experiences relating to actual received interference.

Within days after Sept. 14, the day AM stations were allowed to transmit IBOC at night, Citadel Broadcasting Director of Corporate Engineering Martin Stabbert issued a memo to Citadel's AM IBOC stations that transmitted a signal at night. The memo instructed stations to cease nighttime transmissions because of interference issues. We talked to Stabbert about the memo and the interference problem to help set the record straight.

Rochester Station Says IBOC Interferes

2007-12-03T18:52:00.001-08:00

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

In what is thought to be the first AM nighttime IBOC interference complaint filed with the FCC, Radio Livingston Ltd., licensee of WYSL in Upstate New York, claims that adjacent-channel IBOC noise from WBZ in Boston is interfering with its daytime and nighttime signals.

Observers are interested in the outcome of this case, which presents a face-off between a small standalone AM owner vocally opposed to IBOC on one side of the complaint, against a group-owned, big-market station owned by IBOC pioneer CBS Radio on the other.

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.

HD. Yes … But.

2007-12-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

http://www.paragonmediastrategies.com/theblog/?cat=3

Yes, (from Paragon’s ‘07 HD study) 42% have heard of HD Radio.
But … Only one-in-three can identify any HD station. Stations

Yes, QVC was retailing HD Radios to more than 160 million homes.
But … Just 500 were sold.

Yes, The average QVC price for a HD Radio was $337.66.
But … Listeners want to pay only about $50.00. BuyHd

Yes, Ford will be offering HD Radios over their full line in 2008.
But … You’ll have to pay extra for it. I-pod dock, leather seats, or HD Radio? Hmmm.

Yes, Listeners who already have a HD Radio would buy another one.
But … There aren’t enough of them to make a ripple. purchase

Yes, HD makes AM stations sound a lot better.
But … Interference at night is a big problem (see Comment #3).

Yes, When listeners understand what HD Radio is and what it can do, most might think about buying one. buy
But … Obviously the massive promotion to date hasn’t come close to doing the job. hd-awareness.pdf

Have You Heard of...

2007-12-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

http://www.paragonmediastrategies.com/theblog/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/hd-awareness.pdf

When you ask, “Have you heard of HD Radio?” there is lots and lots of silence. Just like a Marcel Marceau performance.

HD Radio and QVC -- looked good on paper.

2007-11-21T04:43:00.000-08:00

http://the-unmutual.blogspot.com/2007/09/hd-radio-and-qvc-looked-good-on-paper.html

The HD Radio Alliance sponsored a half-hour program on QVC last night. As the Alliance breathlessly announced in their press release:

"QVC provides a unique retail at-home environment that is ideal for helping even more consumers discover the cool new content and crystal clear sound provided by HD Digital Radio," said Peter Ferrara, president and CEO of the HD Digital Radio Alliance. "When QVC shoppers see the wide variety of stylish HD Radio receivers and discover the benefits, they are going to want to experience the digital upgrade immediately."

Interestingly enough, that press release and the new Paragon Media study of HD Radio awareness (41% among radio listeners, of which only 9% understood that it required an HD Radio receiver) arrived in my news aggregator about the same time.

So I decided to watch the QVC special aired last night to see exactly how they would pitch this technology with very little consumer awareness (or interest).

HD Radio: too little, too late

2007-11-16T14:30:00.000-08:00

http://heartsofspace.typepad.com/spatialrelations/2006/08/hd_radio_too_li.html

Face it, folks...when you add it up, HD Radio as a platform will never be competitive with satellite or Internet radio on a value for value basis for the end user.

HD Radio PAD: solutions in search of problems?

2007-11-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

http://technology360.typepad.com/technology360/2006/10/john_proffitt_o.html

HD Radio's proposed "possibilities" seem out of touch to me because of the sheer proliferation of communication platforms in general. When FM was introduced, it was basically just another way to do one-way radio. It took decades to take over, but it did it in a world of three mass media platforms (print, TV, AM radio). FM had time to make its mark, and the public didn't have to learn anything new (though they did have to buy new receivers). HD Radio's propositions seem bound in this FM radio world view -- the idea that it will reach near-ubiquity because FM radio did. But HD Radio is entering a market that has not three major mass media platforms, but perhaps 10 or more (depending on how you count). Not to mention that one of the mass platforms out there today -- the Internet -- is not a medium but a transport system that can carry ANY medium. Why should I, as a consumer, adapt my listening habits and spend more money on a media format that's basically an update of the 20th century's greatest hit when I could simply shift over to a multimedia device that can get me audio, video, text and still photos and has a wider reach than any one radio station?

All this said, I do think an HD Radio rollout is called for, if for no other reason than multicasting. I'm just deeply concerned that the "neat" stuff HD Radio "could" do is oversold and cannot possibly deliver -- not technologically, but in terms of market acceptance.

‘Anti’ IBOC Alliance Membership Grows

2007-11-16T14:12:00.001-08:00

http://www.rwonline.com/leslie_report/

WYSL owner Bob Savage says he has more than 90 members for his new anti-IBOC alliance which I mentioned in my last post.

None wished to be identified by name.

“For the most part these people are not bomb-throwing reactionaries but are radio pros who are genuinely concerned about IBOC’s adverse effects on AM radio,” he tells me. The entries also include “many accounts of serious interference” he says.

There are a few DXers, ham operators and other “civilians” among that group; however, he said, the majority are broadcasters who represent a cross-section “from the small-market guys all the way to major-market 50 kW AM stations.”

One anonymous “confessional entry,” he says, “loses sleep over being forced by management to install HD-AM, which he regards as an ethical transgression, because it generates harmful interference. He’s certain that if his name and station got out he would lose his job.”

HD Radio: Not Everyone is Touting its Virtues

2007-11-03T19:46:00.000-07:00

http://radio.about.com/od/hdradio/a/aa102807a.htm

Is HD Radio a farce? That’s the question which hdradiofarce.blogspot.com asks. Over the past year or so I’ve received some email from engineers, ham radio operators, and audiophiles who have decried HD Radio as being less than promised and troublesome to others. Here’s a recent email from a site visitor, Bob, who recently wrote:

Test: Rockin' HD Radios, Handy Digital Audio Recorders, Eco-Friendly Totes

2007-10-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.wired.com/gadgets/gadgetreviews/multimedia/2007/09/pl_test

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK
Terrestrial radio isn't dead. More than 3,000 stations are broadcasting HD, delivering CD-quality audio with no monthly fees. You just need the right tuner to pick up the signal. — Roger Thomasson

[Someone needs to set the author of this article straight, there are only half that many stations broadcasting in IBOC in the US! - ed.]

A comparison of HD Radio, XM Radio and AM radio

2007-10-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

http://sounds.interbug.com/2007/10/28/a-comparison-of-hd-radio-xm-radio-and-am-radio/

The following samples represent the following radio formats:

* HD-AM

- 24 kbps, KFAB, Omaha
* XM low bitrate talk radio

- 24 kbps
* Standard AM

- KFAB, Omaha

Mainly these samples exist to show what digital HD Radio sounds like on AM. Recently the FCC granted radio stations the privilege to broadcast HD-AM at night. This makes a world of difference for talk radio shows.

According to sources on the web, both HD-AM and XM Talk 165 broadcast around 24 kbps. Their audio samples do sound about the same to the ear.

The compression artifacts on both HD AM and XM radio are quite noticeable at this low bitrate. A strong AM signal on a good radio can rival the digital in overall fidelity. However, the lack of hiss, pop and fade, along with immunity from outside interference makes the digital experience more enjoyable.

Sony XDR-S3HD Tabletop HD Radio Review

2007-10-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.connectreviews.com/2007/10/27/sony-xdr-s3hd-tabletop-hd-radio-review/#more-259

The problem with HD Radio is that it isn’t readily available in all areas, and the quality of sound is still something to be desired over regular FM radio. We found that some HD Radio stations in our area were not clear and were dropping in and out. These problems aren’t singular to this particular model HD Radio either, all HD Radio’s will suffer from this problem due to the current infrastructure of the technology.

It seems like a much better decision to go with XM or Sirius satellite radio, since it is available nationwide and without interruption most of the time. If you still want to give HD Radio a try, the XDR-S3HD Tabletop HD Radio from Sony will set you back $200.

Don’t Touch That Dial

2007-10-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

http://followthemedia.com/alldigital/dial25102007.htm

Broadcasters have long cast a wary eye toward the digital realm. Even with grudging acceptance that ‘the world is going digital’ the unease is endemic. And the answers from consumers only reinforce every digital fear.

Programming side broadcasters tend to be rather more right-brained than the left-brained engineers and accountants. Programmers talk about concepts; engineers talk about boxes. Broadcasting needs both sides of the brain, certainly, but visualizing consumer behavior remains the domain of programmers.

Something about digital radio has bothered broadcastings’ concept side, something not well articulated.

American broadcaster Cox Radio commissioned veteran audience researcher Bob Harper to find out how radio listeners may or may not use the new digital radio platforms. In a series of focus groups conducted in three US cities two years ago Harper sorted out a quite different layer of digital questions. The results were summed up nicely by one study participant - “Why don’t they just leave it alone?”

Will HD Radio be the wave of the future?

2007-10-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

http://blog.cleveland.com/top_entertainment/2007/10/will_hd_radio_be_the_wave_of_t.html

By Tom Feran
Plain Dealer Reporter

In television, HD stands for high definition. In radio, it doesn't really stand for anything, which may sum up the problem that HD Radio has with most consumers.

Radio Transformed

2007-10-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=cac9d699-73cd-455f-ac9d-a573ab50d68b

Technology is always changing in today’s fast-paced environment. Almost every industry in the United States has seen major technical changes. Radio is no different. Most Americans have heard of HD TV, however, the concept of HD Radio sounds unfamiliar.

According to hdradio.com, HD Radio takes FM stereo broadcasts and transforms the sound into CD quality. The AM band also benefits from HD Radio technology, as AM broadcasts are transformed into FM quality sound.

Hardly-Discernable Radio: Broadcasts to Nobody

2007-10-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2007/09/21/hd-hardly-discernable-radio-broadcasting-to-nobody/

Public radio in Washington, DC continues to shill for the Hybrid Digital/Analog (not “High Definition”) HD Radio™ system. The public radio audience is as skeptical of this as other segments of the consumer audience — maybe more so. This is a version 1.0 transitional technology – good only until all radio is digital — and public radio listeners are more highly-educated than other radio market segments.

It doesn’t help that station management insists HD Radio™ is a “robust, sustainable service” while displaying a transmitter map showing you can’t get their 500 watt HD Radio™ broadcasts most places the station’s 50,000 watt analog signal is heard, and suggests that an old-style TV roof antenna makes a dandy accessory for your brand-new HD Radio™.

To “jumpstart the migration of the existing audience to the new radio dial position, to propagate the new technology” the station is giving away HD Radio™ units, and the nonprofit public radio station is flogging the things with website links to retailers. It’s very sad, and coming to public stations across the nation, because the money has already been spent.

It reminds me of an old 1960s LP for kids, “You be a DJ.” Kids would play it, introduce songs, and talk - and no one else was listening.

Blogs about: Hd Radio

2007-10-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

http://wordpress.com/tag/hd-radio/

HD Radio™ Fantasyland — 1 comment

Mike Licht wrote 19 hours ago: The FCC recently adopted the HD RadioTM standard over competing technologies, and stations have begin a radio campaign to …

HD Radio Manufacturing Capacity Doubled Since 2006

broadcastequipmentguide wrote 1 week ago: iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of digital HD Radio technology, announced today that demand for HD Radio receivers has resulted...

HD Radio™, Ford Tough -- to Receive — 4 comments

Mike Licht wrote 2 weeks ago: HD Radio™ will be available in 2008 Fords – a dealer-installed accessory, not a factory-installed option. Translation: expensive. You …

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

2007-10-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.cab-acr.ca/english/radio/dab/DRCG_Report_final.pdf

(Deals with FM IBOC, but there is a direct connection to AM IBOC by inference)

The Digital Radio Co-ordinating Group (DRCG) has prepared this report to assist broadcasters
and government regulators in assessing the technical & operational issues associated with
introducing in-band on-channel (IBOC) digital radio broadcasting (DRB) services in the
Canadian FM radio environment. Because it has been adopted as an IBOC standard by the US
FM radio industry, and equipment was therefore readily available, iBiquity Digital Corporation’s
HD RadioTM system was utilized in this evaluation.

The DRCG considers that, based on the evidence currently in hand, 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.

Growing Resistance to HD Radio

2007-10-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

http://diymedia.net/archive/1007.htm#102207

After feeling like I've been shouting into the wind alone for so long about this, it's great to see others taking a critical perspective on HD's fundamental flaws. Check the following blogs for lots of information about this tainted technology, especially since these folks are also doing an excellent job aggregating news coverage of the issue:

As HD Radio Sniffs Success, Critics Question the Formula

2007-10-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2007/10/hdradio

As HD Radio braces for a sliver of success -- adding advertisers and a new wave of portable receivers -- critics say tight control by big radio companies at the top is smothering the fledgling industry's chances.

"Radio's most popular formats were created by radio rebels, outlaws, misfits and ne'er-do-wells -- not by corporate marketing executives," says Robert Hughes, co-owner of San Diego rock station KPRI, which has no immediate plans to broadcast in HD.

Over the last two years, about 1,500 U.S. radio stations have made the leap to digital broadcasting, terrestrial radio's response to the overwhelming success of the iPod and the threat posed by satellite radio. The technology -- known as HD Radio, although the letters don't stand for "high definition" or anything else -- allows stations to broadcast in higher fidelity and offer secondary channels to listeners with special digital radios.

Stations spend an estimated $100,000 each to upgrade their transmitters to carry digital signals, according to the HD Digital Radio Alliance trade group, which is dominated by huge radio companies.

But so far, digital radio has generated nearly no buzz. HD Radio technology company iBiquity Digital estimates about 200,000 HD radios were sold last year, and predicts between 1 million and 1.5 million will be sold this year.

LOST: AM RADIO

2007-10-20T17:05:00.001-07:00

http://karlzuk.blogspot.com/2007/10/lost-am-radio.html

Just leave AM radio alone! Please turn off HD Radio IBOC, pull out the NRSC filters and let a grand old medium serve its public well! No other technology can achieve direct nationwide distribution using a ten dollar hand-held receiver. And, no, I don't want to listen to all my radio via the Internet quite yet. Get back to basics and let AM radio shine again. Have you ever heard two or three IBOC beehives phase together? Oh, my poor ears! Here comes the train! Let's stop it before it's completely out of control!

BY THE NUMBERS - PERCENTAGE OF AM STATIONS OPERATING "IBOC": 5 %

2007-10-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

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

Note: Most AM stations utilizing IBOC do not utilize the system at night. According to IBOC proponents, as of October 2007, "fewer than 100 stations" are utilizing the system because of skywave adjacent-channel interference problems (see "DROPPING LIKE FLIES," this site.) An unknown number of AM stations using IBOC are "daytimers" meaning they have no nighttime authority under any circumstances, or are "daytimers with post-sunset authority" meaning they have very small nighttime operating power. Since IBOC utilizes only about 1/100th of AM carrier power the system would not work reliably with the usual PSSA authorized station, operating with only 5 to 50 watts, so daytimers are not candidates for nighttime use of the system.

RELEVANT STATISTICS: 95% of AM stations do NOT operate IBOC, with something between 98% and 99% of AM stations NOT operating with the system at night. Only 84% of FM stations are utilizing IBOC, including noncommercial licensees. This is after four years of frantic industry promotion, ineffectual on-air promotion and lobbying of the FCC to establish IBOC as "the" digital standard.

How Does HD Digital Radio Sound? (simulation)

2007-10-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.hdradio.com/how_does_hd_digital_radio_sound.php

Ever wished you could get the same quality of sound from your radio as you do from your CD? Or that your radio signal didn’t fade out just when you wanted to listen to the game? Now you can. Get the kind of sound that was previously reserved for your HDTV, CD system or MP3 player. Get it on your radio. And get it for free!

* CD-quality sound
* Crystal-clear reception
* No station drop-off
* No static, hiss or audio distortion

NOTE: Webcasts such as this one utilize a compressed electronic file and should not be considered a true replica of the superior sound quality you get with HD Radio.

Stop IBOC Now!

2007-10-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

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

End The Radio Engineering Scourge That Could Mean Doom To AM Radio

A hybrid digital/analog broadcasting system has been pushed through a perfunctory FCC approval process, by the developer working in concert with the National Association of Broadcasters and large corporate radio groups to benefit a few big-market Am radio stations.

Not only does "In-Band", On-Channel" hybrid/analog AM radio not work well - it generates harmful interference which could end AM radio listening as it has existed since 1920.

More on HD: Is Anyone Out There?

2007-10-18T20:25:00.001-07:00

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/10/17/entertainment/radio/13_32_3810_17_07.txt

By: RANDY DOTINGA - For the North County Times

If a radio station broadcasts music and nobody listens, does it make a sound?

Last week, I wrote about how local stations are embracing HD Radio, which allows them to broadcast in higher fidelity and offer alternative programming on digital subchannels. If you get an HD Radio ---- they cost $100 and up ---- you can tune in to about 10 of these local channels, some of which I wrote about last week.

But while plenty of stations have spent money and time on the digital technology known as HD, there are plenty of signs that few people are interested.

Consider North County rock station KPRI, which doesn't have a digital signal. According to KPRI's Bob Hughes, it seems that a grand total of one person has asked when the station will start broadcasting in digital.

And who's that person? Me. Your humble radio columnist. That, Hughes said, "speaks volumes about HD."

HD Alliance Ups Marketing Commitment By $230 Million

2007-10-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=139605&pt=todaysnews
WASHINGTON -- October 15, 2007: The HD Digital Radio Alliance -- a joint initiative by a number of leading broadcasters to promote consumer adoption of HD Radio -- has renewed its charter and committed to an additional $230 million in marketing funds for 2008. That brings the group's total financial commitment to $680 million.

"Our renewed charter shines the spotlight on local markets and the unique content offered on the new HD2 radio stations," said HD Digital Radio Alliance President/CEO Peter Ferrara. "Now is the time for each local market manager, program director, and sales manager to step up and make HD Radio a part of their business objectives for 2008."

iBiquity Launches HD Radio Retail Training Web Site

2007-10-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

http://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/$rol.exe/headline_id=b10308

iBiquity Digital has re-launched its retail sales training web site at hdradiouniversity.com. Developed in collaboration with Chalk Media Corp. and its chalkboard learning platform, HD Radio University is designed to educate retail sales people, who are currently selling HD Radio products in the U.S.

The interactive learning web site is designed to give retailers the tools they need to increase their knowledge of HD Radio Technology. The site opens with an informative video, featuring leading consumer electronics product educator David Chalk. Entitled "The HD Radio Story," the learning site covers the basics of HD Radio Technology as well as new advanced features such as the recently announced iPod iTunes Tagging.

RadioShack's Inadequate Accurian

2007-10-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2007/tc20070409_072411.htm?chan=technology_digital+music+reviews_digital+music+reviews

This is the cheapest HD Radio receiver now on the market, but even at $200 it's too expensive given its subpar sound

It's true that the RadioShack Accurian is the most affordable way into the appealing new club that is HD Radio, but it's costly for all the wrong reasons. One look underneath the base of an Accurian explains its $200 price tag. There, a sticker reads: "HD Radio Technology Under License From iBiquity Digital Corporation." 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.

A Radio That's Digital But Hardly Special

2007-10-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.courant.com/technology/hc-hunt1012.artoct12,0,2911230.column?coll=hc_technology_util

HD Radio still has a lot to prove, starting with its relevancy.

Will people turn off their satellite radios, pause their iPods or fold shut their MP3-loaded cellphones to flip on a newly digitized AM/FM radio?

Uh, not so far. Despite more radio stations' shifting to the new digital technology licensed by Ibiquity Digital Corp. (ibiquity.com), HD Radio is still in the Perez Hilton stage: loved by some, unknown or unwanted by most.

Time of Reckoning Nears for HD Radio

2007-10-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.rwonline.com/pages/s.0048/t.9030.html

With a Stalled Rollout and Little Support From the Big Three, Are Industry Insiders Starting to Doubt HD?

It’s beginning to seem like a long time ago when many of us started laying plans to add IBOC digital transmission to our stations.

The topic has dominated our industry as a seminal yet controversial issue since the early 1990s. Early adopters have been running HD Radio for almost five years. But the long ordeal of converting radio broadcasting from analog to digital in this country is still in its infancy.

By the time you read this, fulltime AM-HD IBOC operations will have commenced for many key stations. The early fallout from skywave interference will be raining down from the ionosphere and the FCC will be dealing with the first round of formal complaints. Except for real interference that falls inside protected contours, other complaints will undoubtedly be dismissed.

AM-HD has from the beginning been widely criticized as the noisy and disruptive neighbor a lot of folks hoped would not move in next door. Other than a few isolated cases, Ibiquity has assured us the problem will not be all that bad. Instead of worrying about the background hiss or losing fringe area listeners, we should focus on the benefits of high-fidelity digital stereo on AM for the first time.

When all is said and done it probably won’t matter if AM-HD in the hybrid mode succeeds or not. The big signal AM news-talkers are the anchors saving the AM band and don’t need 15 kHz stereo to remain successful. If anything, lost fringe area coverage hurts them more than any benefit that might be derived from HD.

One reason HD radio is too little, too late

2007-10-10T04:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/radioshark2/

radio SHARK 2 - $50.00

To put it simply, radio SHARK 2 adds the enjoyment of AM/FM radio to your computer, both Mac and PC. But that's only the beginning.

radio SHARK 2 can record AM and FM radio broadcasts in real time.
You can record while you listen, or you can set up recordings to occur later, or according to a repeating schedule. You never have to miss a favorite show again. Recordings are saved to your hard disk, and can be added (automatically!) to your iTunes library for listening on your iPod.

radio SHARK 2 can "pause" live radio.
Griffin's radio SHARK software keeps track as you listen. Need to jump up and answer the door? ...take a quick refreshment break? Go ahead; the show will go on... when you tell it to. You can pause the broadcast and come right back to where you left off, moments or even hours later.

radio SHARK 2 adds Internet Radio to your old stand-by AM & FM.
radio SHARk's on-screen radio "tuner" looks, feels, and works just the way you expect a radio dial to work. Your dear Grandma & Grandpa would feel right at home with it. There's nothing to learn, no dues to pay, no paradigm to shift. But, let's face it — it's the 21st Century. Along with the usual fare of AM/FM talk shows, call-ins, top-forty, and easy (and sometimes no-so-easy) listening, you get to browse the ever-expanding world of Internet Radio. You get to sample broadcasts that couldn't squeeze their way between the curve of the earth and the ionosphere. You, or your listening, at any rate, get to go global, You get to try, before you buy, great music and sounds from all over the world, via Cyberspace. And how hard is it to master? It's just like listening to Radio.

radio SHARK 2 gives you computerized control over your radio listening.
You love your radio. Now you can love your radio with digital control. Plug the radio SHARK "fin" into your computer's USB port, load the software, and start tuning in. You can pick it up as you go — or you can help yourself to detailed step-by-step instructions, authored by our team of trained professionals. Before you know it, you will have the airwaves whipped into shape, performing at your beck and call. And when they ask you how you did it, you can just smile and say, enigmatically, "It was easy."

HD Radio

2007-10-09T18:53:00.000-07:00

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

There is a general disinterest amongst consumers in the new Digital HD Radio. According to a survey by Bridge Ratings, when asked the question, "Would you buy an HD radio in the next two months?" only 1.0% responded "yes".^[23] Some engineers have also expressed distrust or dislike of the new system.^[24]

HD Radio tuners have been noted as being very insensitive, making reception problematic. In hybrid mode, the HD Radio signal is 1/100th the power of a station's analog signal. For this reason, the HD Radio signal will sometimes drop out and the receiver will revert to analog mode. This can be especially problematic in fringe areas, where the digital signal may frequently be lost. In addition it has been noted that the analog section displays poor reception capabilities compared to older non-digital models.^[25]

Whereas DRM and DAB are controlled by non-profit consortiums with members from more than 30 countries, iBiquity ultimately has control over HD Radio receiver-manufacturer licensing^[26] and broadcaster licensing.^[27] HD Radio has been officially adopted only by the US and Brazil. iBiquity has stated in PR articles that countries evaluating HD Radio include Canada, France, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Switzerland, and Thailand.^[26]^[27] However as of mid-2007, Canada and Switzerland have officially selected, or are also testing, the Digital Audio Broadcasting standard, and France has already chosen DAB. iBiquity and other sources do not explicitly state in published articles what technically comprises the "evaluation", whether there are ongoing or elapsed test transmissions, and the quantity or power of transmitters.

HD Radio has been criticized for being incompatible with the standards selected by most other countries; hence overseas travel with an HD Radio, or the sale of radios to or from countries that don't use HD Radio is not possible. Manufacturers presently must design and build separate radios for the U.S. market. For broadcasting on frequencies below VHF (including Shortwave and AM/Medium Wave), most countries (and the standards organizations ITU, IEC, and ETSI) have adopted the Digital Radio Mondiale system, abbreviated "DRM" (not related to Digital Rights Management). For VHF and higher frequencies, a majority of countries have adopted or are evaluating the Digital Audio Broadcasting, abbreviated "DAB" system (see "Regional implementations of DAB" in Digital Audio Broadcasting).

The U.S. FCC selected HD Radio as the official digital radio system in 2002, and without provision for compatibility with DAB (ratified by the ITU-R standardization body in 1994) and DRM (ITU ratified April 2001). Thus, although an analog radio from one continent can be taken to another and it will work to some degree, the differences between HD Radio and DAB/DRM make listening to the other system impossible.

Unlike subscription-based satellite radio, the content of HD Radio stations is subject to FCC regulation.

Unlike regular car radios, which come fitted as standard equipment with virtually all automobiles, HD Radio requires consumers to purchase a new radio costing more than $100.

Dennis Haarsager's rolling environmental scan for electronic media.

2007-10-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

http://technology360.typepad.com/technology360/digital_radio/index.html

Digital Radio entries

HD Radio vs. Internet Radio - Which is Radio's Future?

2007-10-09T14:34:00.001-07:00

http://www.bridgeratings.com/press_08.08.07.HDvsInternet.htm

Here at Bridge Ratings, we are often asked about HD radio. Is there a future? And, if there is a future from a consumer's perspective, how well- in our opinion - will HD radio enhance terrestrial radio's future?

In a just-completed Bridge Ratings study of 3179 consumers ages 12+, our client's goal was to determined the current status/awareness of HD radio among average Americans and how it compares to Internet radio in use and interest.

This chart provided by BIA Financial Network expresses the most current status of the number of HD On-air radio stations in the U.S. 278 HD stations are on the air in the top ten radio markets - about 36%. This compares to 18% of the stations in markets 51-100 that have invested in HD technology for their stations.

HD Radio: Why Marketing Matters

2007-10-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

http://navigatethefuture.blogspot.com/2007/08/hd-radio-why-marketing-matters.html

I was impressed with the British Invasion in the 1960's. "Those Brits are real good", I thought to myself as the whole string of music successes starting with the Beatles came across the 'pond' to invade America.

Now, they're showing up America once again, but this time it's in the area of HD radio - or "Digital Radio" as they package it.

In a survey just released by Britain's ratings service RAJAR, more than 25% of the British population listen to digital radio, defined as Digital Audio Broadcasting, Digital Television and the Internet.

At first glance, this is rather impressive. However, when combining those three digital radio sources in the U.S., the percentage of the American populous that listens to some form of digital radio is closer to 50%:

Internet radio - 60 million
HD Radio - 500,000
Digital TV - 90 million homes

What is intriguing is the marketing of digital radios (comparable to the U.S. HD concept).

Best Buy Expands HD Radio Lineup

2007-10-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

http://www.theretailbridge.com/archives/view/?publication_id=2&release_id=141#Story1

As part of a nationwide digital radio sales push, Best Buy on Monday announced plans to offer HD Radio products at all of its 832 U.S. stores. The rollout, part of the retailer's partnership with the HD Digital Radio Alliance, is effective immediately.

"The HD Digital Radio Alliance and iBiquity have created momentum with customers that now make HD Digital Radio one of the hottest electronics choices around," said Chris Homeister, Best Buy vice president of merchandising. "Product is now available in all of our stores, so no matter where our customers live, they can discover HD Radio and experience the crystal clear sound and new programming choices."

In addition to the HD hardware -- including options for car, home and mobile listening -- Best Buy's HD Radio rollout includes a customer education and marketing program that incorporates an interactive, in-store display. This effort will be bolstered by tie-in ads created by both Best Buy and the Alliance.

"This is another major step forward for HD Radio technology," said Robert Struble, president and CEO of HD Radio developer iBiquity. "Following rapid adoption by the broadcast community and an increasing range of products for the mass market, Best Buy's efforts will dramatically accelerate consumer adoption of this great new technology."

Google Group: HD Radio

2007-10-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

http://groups.google.com/group/hd-radio/topics

Description: This is a group for discussing HD radio, it's viability in the market place, HD receivers and technology, programming, reception, and in general anything concerning HD radio that shouldn't be clogging up other newsgroups, like rec.radio.shortwave.

Visteon's HD Jump: An easy leap to HD Radio

2007-10-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

http://blog.scifi.com/tech/archives/2007/01/10/visteons_hd_jum.html

HD Radio is a great way to upgrade your car's radio, since you get better-quality FM broadcasts and your favorite AM talk show sounds likes it's on the FM band. The only catch is that you need a head unit or home receiver that's HD-Radio capable. At least you did until Visteon's HD Jump (set to retail between $200 and $250) arrived on the scene.

The HD Jump is a small transportable HD Radio receiver that can be used in the car or in your home with an optional dock. It mounts on top of your dashboard or wherever's convenient, really. The large monochromatic display shows station information, song titles, and the like, and it lets you select between multicast HD signals (extra stations on the same frequency) on stations that that are actually using them (still a rarity). It has an FM-modulated output, but that won't give you the audio benefits, so better to use the auxiliary output and plug that into the aux input of your head unit.

Even better, the HD Jump also has its own aux input, so you can plug your iPod or other portable audio device into the it and use its FM modulator to broadcast the signal to your car's in-dash receiver.

HD Radio Effort Undermined by Weak Tuners in Expensive Radios

2007-10-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/7002/hd-radio2.html

By Richard Menta 3/24/07

Central New Jersey is an ideal location for receiving broadcast radio and television. The state is perfectly sandwiched between New York and Philadelphia and with a population of nearly nine million residents it is heavily targeted by the stations that serve these two major cities. This is the most densley populated state in the country and the one with the second highest per capita income, making it an advertiser's dream.

The FM dial is so crowded, in fact, that there are only a few relatively open frequencies where I can effectively utilize the FM transmitter that allows me to listen to my iPod in the car. What better market is there to sample the burgeoning HD radio offerings, all provided by the same stations that presently serve this region?

From left to right we have the Accurian HD Radio, Boston Acoustics Recepter Radio,the Polk I-Sonic Entertainment System, and a circa 1941 Zenith model 520.

Marketing Radio 1940’s Style

2007-10-08T18:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.community-media.com/wordpress/?p=117

Across the U.S. radio stations are in the process of installing new digital “HD Radio” transmission equipment. This will allow them to broadcast a digital radio signal as well as their existing AM or FM signals.

There is one problem though - almost no-one in the country actually owns an HD radio. Some car makers are beginning to install them in new cars, but finding an HD radio for your home is nearly impossible. In any event most Americans have no idea that HD radio even exists.

They do however know about both Sirius and XM satellite radio, and those receivers can be purchased at Wal-Mart and just about anywhere else.

A clue to why this situation exists may be found in an advertisement in the latest issue of Radio, a broadcast trade magazine.

I found it hard not to think back to the Grapes of Wrath, and imagine how much happier the Joad family (pictured here?) would have been if they could have listened to their Old Time Radio shows in crystal clear digital HD sound. Certainly the Great Depression wouldn’t have seemed so depressing. Who knows, maybe they wouldn’t have left for California!

Then again, the $259 price for this radio may have presented an obstacle.

Radio listening has been in decline for a couple of decades, and satellite, Internet, and podcasting are all making inroads. Regular broadcasters are getting nervous about what the future holds for them.

Apparently though not nervous enough to drag their ideas and marketing out of the 1940s and into the the new Millennium.

Gizmodo Reviews HD Radio - Decidedly Blah

2007-10-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.slashgear.com/gizmodo-reviews-hd-radio-decidedly-blah-072395.php

HD Radio promises a lot but what does it actually deliver? According to Gizmodo, if you’re listening to it with the Accurian Tabletop HD Radio, not much - in fact, despite the claims of CD quality the sound was pretty meh and the price decidedly bwuh?!

At $175, Gizmodo were hoping for something more fulfilling than merely on-screen song details. Not recommended.