The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to include HD Radio capabilities into most satellite radio receivers.
The MMTC said they support comments urging the FCC to require "most SDARS receivers to also be capable of receiving HD Radio signals."
"We endorse a seamless scan of analog AM, FM, HD and SDARS signals in SDARS receivers," the MMTC added in the petition.
The organization calls itself a nonprofit "dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity and civil rights in the mass media and telecommunications industries," and advocates for minority advancement in communications.
So what are the MMTC's motivations for the endorsement of HD Radio?
The organization feels that "Sirius XM could use its satellite monopoly in the marketplace, the cost savings generated from the merger, and its relationships with equipment manufacturers and retailers to retard the growth of terrestrial services."
...because, you know, terrestrial is having such a hard time reaching listeners.
[RadioInk]
"We endorse a seamless scan of analog AM, FM, HD and SDARS signals in SDARS receivers," the MMTC added in the petition.
The organization calls itself a nonprofit "dedicated to promoting and preserving equal opportunity and civil rights in the mass media and telecommunications industries," and advocates for minority advancement in communications.
So what are the MMTC's motivations for the endorsement of HD Radio?
The organization feels that "Sirius XM could use its satellite monopoly in the marketplace, the cost savings generated from the merger, and its relationships with equipment manufacturers and retailers to retard the growth of terrestrial services."
...because, you know, terrestrial is having such a hard time reaching listeners.
[RadioInk]
I assume that the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) also want to have SDARS included in all HD,AM, FM receivers produced so that there is a seamless scan of analog AM, FM, HD and SDARS signals in all receivers produced.
First pirates from Somalia, now this.
I suggest that the minority leaders who are so concerned about ratings for minority stations look up the word broadcasting (as opposed to narrowcasting). If they ever figure out how to create programming that has appeal outside of a few low socio-economic, depressed urban areas, they wouldn't need to strongarm satrad or anyone else. This is like the hundred or so people who actually listened to Air America demanding the return of the fairness doctrine when they couldn't get anyone to tune in to the low entertainment value crap they were turning out.
And , unless you live in a big city , HD radio is useless , because most small town radio stations don't have HD .
I guess now Sharpton/Jackson will now have something to do.I hope the FCC demands Satrad. in HD receivers.
Why in the hell is this even being entertained? They have no say in what should be included.
The Majority subscribers TelecommU to go fuck yourselves! Charger2000's comment says it all. So many people worried about satellite radio - and why is that? The reason is because satellite radio has the POTENTIAL to be a real threat to HD and terrestrial. The potential has yet to be realized due to Mel & Co.'s incredibly INEPT management and almost daily blunders! Stupidity is keeping this service from making the impact that it should have by now.
Leave out the political aspects for a moment: this doesn't make sense from a technical perspective.
Terrestrial radio doesn't belong in satellite receivers; if people really want to get HD radio in the hands of consumers, it's far better to incorporate the digital circuitry in to devices that are already designed for these bands.
SDARS, AM, and FM radios operate on entirely different bandwidths. If you've been following how difficult it has been for Sirius XM to get a receiver on the market that can receive both Sirius and XM signals, imagine when you try to mix that with 2 more bands that each have digital and analog components. You need more RF circuitry, you need more antenna connectors, and it makes a PnP installation that much more complicated (you'd have to have some weird sort of pass-through connector for the car stereo antenna).
On the other hand, car stereos and home stereo systems are already built for those bands. The only difference is that they don't have digital receivers. The tuner that makes HD possible can basically replace an analog AM/FM tuner. Since a car or home stereo needs an AM/FM tuner anyway, making it HD is trivial at this point.
The way to get HD in to consumers' hands isn't to force it on the premium satellite radio market. It's to make it ubiquitus and put HD where it belongs: In every new AM and FM receiver brought to market.
If they do that, then all am/fm/hd radios should have satellite receivers built into their radios. Fair is fair...
That thing is a brick, but then what else can you expect from a SIRIUS radio, one more reason the merger sucks radio technology hasn't improved.
Hey, I didn't want to pay for a V chip in my TV that I don't want and don't need but a small, vocal bunch of shitty parents that can't take the time to raise their kids managed to force that one on every single one of us. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it happen here.
I hope Obama makes a statement by saying that this puts a bad name on minorities...however, something tells me with the reemergence of the fairness doctrine nothing is really going to change.
I like Rush Limbaugh because despite everyone telling him he was going to fail, he found a mass market and is one of, if not the most, powerful man in radio. Like Stern, he found a niche and it happened to take off. What the minorities need to do is have a show/views that most people will want to hear on radio. I've listened to the Power on XM, and I'm sorry but a lot of those issues don't apply to the masses.
It's like that CNN "Black in America" where Spike Lee says that it's because he's black he can't make movies HE wants to make. It's not because he's black, it's because there's not a large enough audience to support the financing. Simple economics, not racism.
I love how its a one way street, they want HD Radio included in most Satellite Radios, but theres no mention of returning the favour in most HD Radios.
How greedy can some people be...
so lets see how the NAB reacts if the fcc takes 2 years to rule like in the merger
ok then i want to be able to get satellite radio in an HD radio receiver then..
When does it stop? The reason we buy satellite radio is because we don't want terrestrial radio! We don't want anything to do with you. Your programming sucks and its nothing but commercial breaks. Sorry somebody provides a better service.
Look on the bright side, when sat radio goes under, you will still have that nice HD brick of a radio to listen to.
Hey, LAPTOP GAMER. That THING is not a satellite radio unit. It is an HD radio unit.
We pay for SAT radio how is this fair? Also I agree if there going to make Sat radio put AM/FM/hd shouldn't then every radio have SAT capability? Whats fair is fair. I am so tired of these loser spanish broadcasters, you guys were number 1 in NY when you got away with doing a show that Howard Stern was doing on SAT you got caught so shut the fuck up now.
I'd like my iPod to blow me. Can we make Apple do that, too?
As we found out over the past two years, the FCC is pathetic, corrupt, and incapable of making a fair and decisive ruling on most matters. They are a SHAM!
It all points to one person. Without a doubt the most incompetent, uninformed, unqualified, illiterate, brain dead, treasonous, stumbling, bumbling asshole to ever hold the office of President: George W Bush!
Better to not knock what you don't understand satradio fanboy's. You better hope HD Radio is put into satellite radio's! What else is going to continue to give you value and entertainment long after SiriusXM shuts down completely later in 2009/2010? Not only will the churn away from siriusxm be mind blowing when it the truth is told, the audio quality between HD Radio and poor satellite radio will be mind blowing. The growing unpaid huge amounts of debt and the soon to be de-listed junk stock are all wake up calls. The fad known as siriusxm is over, paying for radio is for suckers.