In lieu of a semi-boring day in world of satellite radio today, let's take a trip back in time to just over a year ago. When Dan Mason, former CBS Radio President, predicted that by this time today - there would be over 1,300 HD Radio stations broadcasting digital radio across the U, S of A. With the euphoric HD Radio signal washing over a whopping 80% of the US population, and over 15 separate manufacturers pumping out HD Radios, it was proclaimed that "AM and FM is changing before your eyes."
Or maybe not.
Here we are, a year later after such lofty dreams were crafted. Yet, a mere 700 stations have the ability to broadcast in HD Radio, and only 1,200 are expected by year's end. Just over 260 are even multicasting any HD2 channels. And with word that HD Radio's inventor, iBiquity, is halting all current and future projects... is the writing on the wall?
[Radio Rave April 14, 2005]
(For more giggles, read the Satellite Radio: Too Early For Cigars written by Cox Radio President/CEO Bob Neil. With quotable quotes like "I'd liken the satellite market more to a zygote than to an embryo" and "Satellite radio's impact on traditional radio is minimal," you'll be sure to be entertained.)
Let's say that there are over a billion FM radios in this country. Now, lets say that within any home there are 3 radios. The actual number is more like 10. But, sticking with that 3, how many of them are HD?
If you're an advertizer, what matters most to you? Do you spend more money to advertize on a station with HD? Or, do you spend more money to advertize on a station that covers your demographic, and covers a large area, and can be received by everybody?
Now, just imagine that, for one day, all of the stations that broadcast in HD in any given market, signed off their analog transmitters, and only broadcast in HD. These stations would have to compete with the stations that chose to broadcast in analog only.
Who would you buy advertizing on then? What would their cumulative listeners look like?
The reality is that HD radio is destined to go the way of AM Stereo. It's there, but only a select few are listening. A combination of poor programming and bad sound quality is what is making radio become a thing of the past.
If the FCC wants to improve sound quality, all they need to do is re-instate "proof of performance" standards, which were in effect until 1984. These standards allowed the FCC to fine stations for not correcting operational problems, such as problems with sound equipment. These standards were subjective, not objective, and would critique a station's operation based on measurements such as THD and Noise. Stations were once required to comply with fcc rules, including using the proper emphasis curve for transmission. If a station operated with a hum for more than a given amount of time, they could be fined for that.
Now, we have anarchy. Stations continue the volume war, and instead of providing the public with good radio service, they blast the audio as loud as they can fit it in the narrow bandwith, and then some. Worse yet, most of the material in the studio is being played from some low quality mp3 type file. Simply put, radio is trying to things cheaper, not better, and this is causing its demise!
Unlike HD TV, which the consumer sees an improvement in, HD radio has no real quality increase. Sure, there's less static in some instances, but static was never the complaint in the first place! The same crappy programming and over-compressed audio is being sent to the both the standard and HD transmitters. The consumer is turning to the mp3 player and the cd player as the best alternative.
So what does HD radio improve? Nothing.
Neil Schubert
Let's say that there are over a billion FM radios in this country. Now, lets say that within any home there are 3 radios. The actual number is more like 10. But, sticking with that 3, how many of them are HD?
If you're an advertizer, what matters most to you? Do you spend more money to advertize on a station with HD? Or, do you spend more money to advertize on a station that covers your demographic, and covers a large area, and can be received by everybody?
Now, just imagine that, for one day, all of the stations that broadcast in HD in any given market, signed off their analog transmitters, and only broadcast in HD. These stations would have to compete with the stations that chose to broadcast in analog only.
Who would you buy advertizing on then? What would their cumulative listeners look like?
The reality is that HD radio is destined to go the way of AM Stereo. It's there, but only a select few are listening. A combination of poor programming and bad sound quality is what is making radio become a thing of the past.
If the FCC wants to improve sound quality, all they need to do is re-instate "proof of performance" standards, which were in effect until 1984. These standards allowed the FCC to fine stations for not correcting operational problems, such as problems with sound equipment. These standards were subjective, not objective, and would critique a station's operation based on measurements such as THD and Noise. Stations were once required to comply with fcc rules, including using the proper emphasis curve for transmission. If a station operated with a hum for more than a given amount of time, they could be fined for that.
Now, we have anarchy. Stations continue the volume war, and instead of providing the public with good radio service, they blast the audio as loud as they can fit it in the narrow bandwith, and then some. Worse yet, most of the material in the studio is being played from some low quality mp3 type file. Simply put, radio is trying to things cheaper, not better, and this is causing its demise!
Unlike HD TV, which the consumer sees an improvement in, HD radio has no real quality increase. Sure, there's less static in some instances, but static was never the complaint in the first place! The same crappy programming and over-compressed audio is being sent to the both the standard and HD transmitters. The consumer is turning to the mp3 player and the cd player as the best alternative.
So what does HD radio improve? Nothing.
Neil Schubert