April 8, 2008
Clear Channel Starts Transmitting HD Tags
The Clear Channel network is now sending out HD Radio tags that work with special digital receiver and iPods: Over 340 of Clear Channels stations are transmitting the information that receivers made by Alpine, JBl, JVC, Polk Audio, and Sony can pick up and hand off to a docked iPod when a special tag button is pressed. That information is that synced with iTunes the next time you plug the iPod into its associated computer. The idea behind tagging is to let people note songs they're interested in and, apparently, buy them. Of course, if there were any portable recordable HD Radio receivers, then you could simply record the song and listen to it later. The recording industry has had long-standing complaints about digital terrestrial broadcasting, wanting to impose a broadcast flag that would overlay every song with information about whether it could be recorded, on what devices, for how long, and how many times it could play.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.
December 1, 2006
More HD Ads on Commercial Stations
The HD Digital Radio Alliance kicks in $250m for 2007: The advertisements will promote the concept of HD Radio and particular receiver models. $250m seems like a lot of money, but it derives in part from unsold advertising inventory that's valued nominally. Still, in testing HD receivers recently, I heard quite a few ads for HD Radio.
April 24, 2006
Second Big HD2 Push Rolls Out
The HD Digital Radio Alliance pushes into 21 more markets today: This group has brought together many broadcasters (mostly larger chains) to promote the use of the second HD channel in FM, HD2, to offer commercial-free, non-competing formats. The industry hopes that these new channels and offerings will be the pull necessary to convince consumers to give HD Radio a try.
Of course, there's still just one tabletop radio available, the $300 Boston Acoustics Receptor Radio HD. More hardware must enter the market, and that will happen soon, for HD Radio to see any real quantity of listeners.
The first push by the alliance put their combined formats in 28 markets. The number of stations broadcasting on HD2 should increase to 450 nationwide as part of this push.
February 21, 2006
AM/FM Pushes Out Terrestrial Message: We're Free
The blitz for HD Radio to catch on among AM/FM listeners is on: The LA Times writes about the threat of satellite to terrestrial radio today, with a small focus on local FM stations, and a great overview of the market. Satellite has tripped with higher costs in this last quarter, and if enough HD Radio-equipped receivers can get into the market, the ground stations might make a run for listeners who would otherwise pay over $150 per year for satellite reception.
Meanwhile, Billboard reports on the first phase of a $200 million in-kind advertising campaign for digital AM/FM supported by all major radio chains. The ads try to inform about the benefits, but it's definitely going to be a problem to describe better audio on the same medium that people may find lackluster compared to digital formats. As audio stores start to stock HD Radio receivers, that will change. Boston Acoustics gets a boost from these ads: as the only company with a home receiver currently shipping, they're mentioned in some segments. Boston dropped its price for $499 to $299 for the full-featured, rich-sounding Receptor Radio HD on Feb. 1.