April 26, 2007
WUSF-FM Tests Conditional Access
The Florida radio station is testing conditional access with HD Radio: This is related to the recent announcement that NDS RadioGuard will be used to offer content selectively to listeners based on their receiver's unique serial number. One key part of this testing is looking into replacing sub-carrier, low-quality broadcasts of radio reading services for the visually impaired with higher quality HD Radio channels that would be locked to those qualified to listen.
April 18, 2007
HD Radio Gets Conditional Access
NDS will provide tools for HD Radio to offer per-radio programming access: The system, called RadioGuard, uses a combination of serial numbers and encryption to allow broadcasters to enable access on a per-radio basis for digital AM and FM. The applications could vary from subscriber-only access to digital channels to pay-per-listen concerts to public-radio subscribers hearing pledge-free broadcasts. The FCC hasn't yet approved charging for digital-only services; rather, they recently asked for comments on the idea. But conditional access isn't limited to fee-based services.
In a briefing a few weeks ago, NDS's director of data applications Tom Rucktenwald said that the company expected to have chips out for radio makers to work with by about September. The NDS RadioGuard technology would initially be in a separate chip that would work with existing HD Radio decoders. The system would eventually be embedded into a single decoder/conditional access chip, probably by the second quarter of 2008, Rucktenwald said. RadioGuard was announced at NAB this week.
Existing HD Radio receivers won't be able to tune conditional-access channels, but most industry analysts peg an installed base of perhaps a few hundred thousand HD Radio equipped receivers so far. Millions are expected to ship during 2008, and most of those, I expect, will have this technology embedded. (Existing receivers simply won't "see" conditional access channels.)
One key use for conditional access is enabling Radio Reading Service for the sight impaired, which arose out of an exception granted in copyright law: radio stations can broadcast people reading current periodicals and other materials without violating copyright law because of this exception. Thousands of volunteers read material for these services, which typically regional. Some are broadcast as Internet radio, too.
Stations currently use an FM sub-carrier that provides reasonable, but not terrific sound quality, and requires a special receiver to tune in. With conditional access and HD Radio, the estimated 3.5m qualified blind and sight impaired Americans could use an off-the-shelf radio that they register with a station. Sound quality would also be improved. "The quality difference is remarkable," said Rucktenwald. And "the same piece can be used for entertainment." (National Public Radio's chief technology officer suggested in 2005 that HD Radio could be used for captioning of broadcasts for the deaf and hearing impaired, too!)
For public-radio listeners, there's a great carrot and stick here, too. NPR and individual stations have speculated that it would be possible to identify those who had donated recently or regularly to a station and grant them access to a programming feed during pledge drives that wouldn't be interrupted by requests for funds.
NDS's deal isn't exclusive, but they will likely achieve lock-in as the first provider approved by iBiquity, and one whose technology could be embedded in millions of early radios. Rucktenwald said NDS's long experience with the broadcast industry through set-top box and receiver conditional access for video and TV programming has led it to be extremely careful about pricing and licensing to make their offering as relevant and ubiquitous as possible.
The RadioGuard system could be used for data as well as audio, enabling downloads of songs or delivery of podcasts alongside regular programming.
March 29, 2007
Paid Access for HD Stations
The FCC approval of HD Radio also includes requests for comments on for-fee broadcasting: While the public airwaves are open, digital multicast channels may be available (that's still a may) on a for-fee basis. Radio World reports that iBiquity has been working with NDS to enable conditional access for one-time events, higher-quality audio, or other services. This could also allow secured access for first responders or adult-themed channels.
This could also cover reading services, which are broadcast on subcarriers currently, and for which there is a lot of interest among broadcasters to migrating to thin slices of digital spectrum to reduce cost and improve quality. Reading services are provided as a public service where copyrighted materials may be read over the air under a statutory exemption because of the purpose. Conditional access would ensure only impaired people would continue to have access without violating copyright or restricting those core listeners from the service.
NPR's Mike Starling, a long-time digital broadcasting backer, repeated something in this article he told me a couple of years ago: That he could see a non-pledge-drive alternative station for donors! Which is something that would drive pledges to public radio stations.
April 4, 2006
HD for the Hearing, Sight Impaired
Harris Corporation and NPR will demonstrate new uses for HD Radio: The broadcaster and the equipment maker say that at NAB2006, the broadcasters trade show, they will show captioned text for the hearing impaired and radio reading services for the visually impaired. They will show the chain of equipment and services, from injection of this material into an HD Radio multicasting stream down to reception using Kenwood and Boston Acoustics radios. Public radio stations have been particularly interested in rolling out these services as part of their overall HD Radio plan.
Some public radio stations use analog subcarriers, which offer inferior audio quality to regular AM and FM, to provide 1,000,000 weekly listeners with Radio Reading Services for the Blind.