The HD Digital Radio Alliance has struck a deal with Best Buy to offer HD Radios in all of their 832 stores nationwide.

"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."

Earlier this year, the HD Radio Alliance struck a major deal to offer HD Radios in Wal-Mart stores. Crutchfield now also sells the first ever HD Radio converter for your existing stereo. Now we can add Best Buy to the list.

"This is another major step forward for HD Radio technology," said Robert Struble, president and CEO of iBiquity Digital Corp., the developer of the HD Radio system. "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."

Now, I wonder if the HD Radio displays will be placed next to the Sirius and XM displays?

[Radio Ink]

At NAB2007 in Las Vegas, iBiquity Digital has revealed that they've selected NDS Group to provide the industry's first conditional access solution for HD Radio.

NDS Group is the same company that provides the system enabling DirecTV and Cablevision to offer pay-per-view and other opt-in services for consumers. Called RadioGuard, NDS Group's system encrypts content before it is transmitted over the airwaves, then decrypts it once the radio signal has been received and verified.

"We believe this will be key for monetizing HD Radio," said Tom Rucktenwald, director of data applications security for NDS.

Services that could be made possible through RadioGuard include pay-per-listen options for live concerts or other events, improved reading services for the blind, private channels for emergency services, and free opt-in events sponsored by advertisers. So HD Radio will not just be competing with satellite radio for listening time, but soon will be competing for subscription dollars as well.

RadioGuard-capable radio receivers are planned to be introduced to the market by the holidays.

[MediaWeek]