Bob Struble's New Column

[wibg1020]

Collateral Economic Damage

AM-HD, whether one wants to argue whether its eminent domain issues by taking
band property that doesn't belong to the AM-HD'ers, the real matter ultimately centers on collateral
economic damage and business loss sustained to the rest of us. In a collective effort to dismantle this flawed system
will be easy as more and more of us in the analogue realm sustain collateral economic
damage due to signal loss. The HD crowd might not understand electronic physics, but it will surely
understand that loss of business created by this experiment will
ultimately cost them much much more than 30 HD radios across the country. Its so bad that
at a local Circuit City store, one of the clearance tables featured the esteemed HD radio.
Looked awefully lonely there with several marked down prices. The HD crowd will soon
understand what it means to sustain collateral economic damage. When I asked the salesman
about HD, he said there is "zero interest" in it. Those coming into the store are very impressed
with portable internet radio, and ipod connectivity, he said. Apparently in the real
consumer world, HD radio is flat lined. If AM bosses got their heads out of the corporate mindset
and invested their money in strong live and local radio, all of this nonsense would cease
to have even minor impact.

They only understand collateral economic loss and business damage. Those of us who have sustained
economic loss because of it will be speaking with one voice sooner rather than later.
Thats why there are outstanding legal representatives looking at the loss of business
enterprize. Even the best in DC admit that critical mass for HD, at best, is 15-18 years
out there, but other multi media will relegate it to where Quadraphonic recordings were
a quarter of a century ago. Dead.. buried.. forgotten

 

[TheBigA]

I think it's safe to say that the problems with AM radio pre-date HD by about 25 years. We're now at a point where, once again, radio companies are moving successful formats from AM to FM. In the 80s, they moved music from AM to FM. Now they're moving news and talk. It has nothing to do with HD. It has nothing to do with eminent domain or local programming. Lots of AM stations are devoting hours to live & local, and they're losing audience to automated FM stations miles away. Sure, people aren't buying HD radios. But they also not buying AM radios. They haven't for 25 years. The audience is beyond retirement age.

One of the best examples is WMTR-AM in Morristown NJ. No problems with HD interference. Their problem was different. They were doing a live & local oldies format in a bedroom community of New York City. When WCBS-FM flipped from Oldies, WMTR became a Top 10 station in their market. But when WCBS flipped back to Oldies, they dropped to #16. Not in New York, but in their local Morristown book. Last month, they gave up the fight, and went automated. Not because of HD, but because local people weren't interested in live & local programming.

If it makes you feel better to assign blame for AM radio's death on HD, go ahead. But it's not true. Because while HD may not be growing, neither is AM. They say misery loves company, and you have loads with the HD folks.

 

[Savage]

Yes, and if it makes you feel better about your pet HD Radio by publicly [EDIT]on a internet message board - all the time falsely bleating "I'm no supporter of HD" (a favorite pro-HD tactic these days) - all in support of a hybrid system that is an unmitigated, undeniable stiff (FM) or interference-producing (AM)

[EDIT-vulgar content]

 

[Savage]

...weird. This site just seems to go to "auto-post" sometimes in the middle of a sentence. Anyway:

...or marketing disaster (both) well....as you would say..."go ahead." All the ardent posting in support of HD Radio isn't going to make the system succeed any more than bribes or rewriting technical standards to disfavor HD victim stations. Nor, if Bob Strew-Bull is on the channel, will your dorky, falsehood-choked iBiquity message board, essentially the equivalent of HD junk mail discarded by stations all over the US.

 

[TheBigA]

You don't seem to understand the concept that just because I don't attack HD doesn't mean I love it. Nowhere in my post, or in any of my posts, have I ever said I think it's great or that I support it. You're twisting my words to suit your agenda.

I'm simply saying that AM radio was in trouble long before HD. That's a fact. If you want to debate that, go ahead. But don't turn me into an HD supporter because there's no truth in it.

 

[Savage]

As noted, the first part of the post went up before I had a chance to edit it. Apologies for the content, which I didn't mean to go up there.

 

[Play Freebird]

Re: Collateral Economic Damage

Its so bad that
at a local Circuit City store, one of the clearance tables featured the esteemed HD radio.
Looked awefully lonely there with several marked down prices. The HD crowd will soon
understand what it means to sustain collateral economic damage. When I asked the salesman
about HD, he said there is "zero interest" in it.

FLASHBACK to February 2007: The Sharper Image retail chain announces it will carry HD Radio receivers and the Alliance sends out an exciting press release. “The decision by The Sharper Image to carry HD digital radio highlights the incredible momentum behind HD Radio,” said Peter Ferrara... :
http://www.hdradio.com/press_room.php?newscontent=53


UPDATE one year later, February 2008: The Sharper Image files for bankruptcy protection:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/business/21sharper.html


UPDATE on June 2, 2008: The Sharper Image plans to close all of its remaining stores:
http://techblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/06/a-moment-of-silence-for-the-sh.html

To quote Mr. Ferrara again, “The Sharper Image is synonymous with cutting-edge products, and they’ve recognized HD Radio as fitting right in with their strategy."


You can't make this stuff up!

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Collateral Economic Damage

UPDATE on June 2, 2008: The Sharper Image plans to close all of its remaining stores:

Wow...I thought I'd seen everything. You seem to be saying that HD radio caused Sharper Image to go bankrupt!

 

[Play Freebird]

Re: Collateral Economic Damage

UPDATE on June 2, 2008: The Sharper Image plans to close all of its remaining stores:

Wow...I thought I'd seen everything. You seem to be saying that HD radio caused Sharper Image to go bankrupt!

No, it was probably those Ionic Breeze Air Purifiers that brought the Sharper Image down, but I just got a chuckle from reading Peter Ferrara's old statements. Or is it just me who has a wry sense of humor?

The Alliance seemed so excited about signing a deal with Sharper Image, but the chain was already headed for disaster back in 2007 when they came on board. "They’ve recognized HD Radio as fitting right in with their strategy" -- pretty much says it all.

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Collateral Economic Damage

No, it was probably those Ionic Breeze Air Purifiers that brought the Sharper Image down

True story: I went to Sharper Image looking for a Christmas present for my mom. They had some super comfortable bedroom slippers that they had on sale for $50. I was all set to buy them, until I walked into Pennys and saw the same slippers for $25. So I bought mom two pair in different colors. That's why SI went under.

 

[Carmine5]

Re: Collateral Economic Damage

UPDATE on June 2, 2008: The Sharper Image plans to close all of its remaining stores:

Wow...I thought I'd seen everything. You seem to be saying that HD radio caused Sharper Image to go bankrupt!

No, it was probably those Ionic Breeze Air Purifiers that brought the Sharper Image down, but I just got a chuckle from reading Peter Ferrara's old statements. Or is it just me who has a wry sense of humor?

The Alliance seemed so excited about signing a deal with Sharper Image, but the chain was already headed for disaster back in 2007 when they came on board. "They’ve recognized HD Radio as fitting right in with their strategy" -- pretty much says it all.

Towards the end, I thought a lot of The Sharper Image's items were nonsensically bizarre and/or slightly cheesy. Hmm, a fitting venue for HD Radio? The store certainly lost the unique, high end mystique it once had.

For that matter, Mercedes cars are looking worse and, according to AAA of CA, their repair record isn't as stellar as it once was. Hey, didn't they just announce that they were installing HD Radio in all their products?

Coincidence? Bad Karma? You be the judge.

C5

 

[JJS]

Hey, didn't [Mercedes] just announce that they were installing HD Radio in all their products?

They announced HD-R would be an option on select 2009 vehicles.

http://www.emercedesbenz.com/Aug08/...Radio_On_Select_2009_Model_Year_Vehicles.html

 

[clouseau]

Yes, and if it makes you feel better...all the time falsely bleating "I'm no supporter of HD" (a favorite pro-HD tactic these days) - all in support of a hybrid system ....

Bob,

May I be so bold as to suggest this type of "Goose-step against HD or be branded a supporter" attitude has diminished your voice? Apparently there are but 2 types of people in your world. Those who who joined the StopIBOC alliance and those who are HD supporters.

You seem to have no problem branding folks based on their faliure to meet YOUR standards of HD rejection. This type of bullying is the type of thing you constantly accuse the Pro HD crowd of. You've started a website that you claim is only against AM IBOC. Yet nowhere on the site have I seen you acknowledge that. (I could be wrong). I suspect many more people would join your cause were you not so "Totalitarian". I would suggest Mike Walker might join you, were your recruiting effort truly "Stop AM" IBOC. I could be pursuaded to grant relief were that an option. It doesn't look like it is.

I am an HD Radio supporter. I also have made it abundantly clear that I empathize with your situation and believe it should be addressed. I've offered to sign on with you in proposals to get you relief (Like somehow "I'M" a celebrity... ) But honestly, Bob, there's just no avenue to feel good, or "do the right thing", and get on board. Just an extremist website with the three of you all looking old and mean. You have 150 years of life between you, there. Any of you have any reason in all that time that you couldn't have at least one of you not look like a cranky old man? You seem like a pretty funny guy at times. Maybe you could use a photo not taken right after your neighbor dropped that tree limb on your new car.

Seriously... TO ME, all I see there is "Your way, or the Highway".

I worked for a good while in the LPFM community back when we were chasing the original ruling on 99-25. A lot of those proposals comments and replies were carefully crafted to appeal to the masses. And the Congress. While not the same, you guys sound like the "Simulated interference" CD, circulated by the NAB. Extremism loses. To me, you guys look exreme. Were you looking for specific redress, I might be in. You're just looking for the failed solutions of the past.

Of course that just one guy's opinion. I might be wrong.

Clouseau

 

[SUPERCASTER]

HD Radio, a defective, failed solution of the present, will soon be another failed solution of the past, just give it a little more time.

 

[Savage]

See? Posts like this one are why I like you, Clouseau - even though you once suggested I had Alzheimer's. (I had an uncle who died from Alzheimer's and I vividly recall my aunt, who luckily happened to be an RN, spending 20 years of her retirement caring for him. If I may be so bold, I'd suggest you refrain from using this term as a pejorative, even if you are kidding. Alzheimer's is no joke.)

Can't do anything about the "old" part but if you want to volunteer to come up here with your Hasselblad and take some new centerfold pics of yours truly and Cranky Old Watt, maybe you could make us look a little more attractive. We'll give you photo credit on the site. Hell, if we're more pleasant and agreeable, maybe you'd even like to join the Stop IBOC Alliance and we could include your own picture and bio. Whaddya think? This is NOT an offer we intend to extend to David "Eduardo" Gleason. Think about it.

Other than that - I think most visitors and posters here know when I'm kidding and when I'm not. My problem with some recent posters is their total lack of willingness to admit that IBOC has problems, and to then prescribe it as some kind of mandatory technology without which radio is doomed. Which any thinking person has to admit is nonsense. These same people have the annoying trait of rhetorically mandating HD irrespective of its fatal shortcomings as if those flaws can be ignored. If there was a willingness to admit that the interference harming other broadcasters is a threshhold issue which MUST be addressed - rather than ignored or finessed - you'd see a big difference in my attitude, and probably that of other opponents posting here. But instead they continue to try to marginalize people like us who are harmed by HD and parrot the incessant lies and hogwash from the iBiquity supporters.

If you had the infuriating experience of driving in to work day after day listening to HD hash obliterating the station you built from a cornfield and have operated successfully for 22 years, you'd be ticked off too.

I disagree with your charge that I brand everyone not rabidly anti-IBOC as pro-IBOC. There is a tendency for specific posters to mindlessly defend HD and simultaneously assert 'they're not supporters of IBOC.' That's just typical lack of candor and I'm not only not buying it, I'm calling them on it. It's more nonsense of the "HD isn't perfect but it's what we have now" variety. OTOH there is a parallel tendency for IBOC proponents to attack me, my station and my motives, along with other HD critics, rather than defending their hybrid system's merits, if indeed they have any worthy of defending. This is unacceptable to me and to many other posters here.

As long as WBZ-HD skywave is blowing my station off the dial at night, count on me to publicly oppose IBOC. As long as technical alchemy is used to distort the regulatory process to benefit an self-made radio royalty class at the expense of others, and the Alliance, the NAB and iBiquity continue to chant laughably implausible lies in blind pursuit of this deader-than-disco technology, I'm gonna fight it.

As Sir Winston said: "Never, never, never, never, never give up." If that ticks some people off so be it.

 

[KB1OKL]

Other than that - I think most visitors and posters here know when I'm kidding and when I'm not. My problem with some recent posters is their total lack of willingness to admit that IBOC has problems, and to then prescribe it as some kind of mandatory technology without which radio is doomed. Which any thinking person has to admit is nonsense. These same people have the annoying trait of rhetorically mandating HD irrespective of its fatal shortcomings as if those flaws can be ignored. If there was a willingness to admit that the interference harming other broadcasters is a threshhold issue which MUST be addressed - rather than ignored or finessed - you'd see a big difference in my attitude, and probably that of other opponents posting here. But instead they continue to try to marginalize people like us who are harmed by HD and parrot the incessant lies and hogwash from the iBiquity supporters.

If you had the infuriating experience of driving in to work day after day listening to HD hash obliterating the station you built from a cornfield and have operated successfully for 22 years, you'd be ticked off too.

I disagree with your charge that I brand everyone not rabidly anti-IBOC as pro-IBOC. There is a tendency for specific posters to mindlessly defend HD and simultaneously assert 'they're not supporters of IBOC.' That's just typical lack of candor and I'm not only not buying it, I'm calling them on it. It's more nonsense of the "HD isn't perfect but it's what we have now" variety. OTOH there is a parallel tendency for IBOC proponents to attack me, my station and my motives, along with other HD critics, rather than defending their hybrid system's merits, if indeed they have any worthy of defending. This is unacceptable to me and to many other posters here.

As long as WBZ-HD skywave is blowing my station off the dial at night, count on me to publicly oppose IBOC. As long as technical alchemy is used to distort the regulatory process to benefit an self-made radio royalty class at the expense of others, and the Alliance, the NAB and iBiquity continue to chant laughably implausible lies in blind pursuit of this deader-than-disco technology, I'm gonna fight it.

As Sir Winston said: "Never, never, never, never, never give up." If that ticks some people off so be it.

I think we may have been infiltrated by a few of Strew-Bull's ;D employees and/or supporters. The bull has been getting very deep here lately by these "not supporters of IBOC" posters. I mean who are we trying to kid here? I wasn't born yesterday and attitudes come through loud and clear.

 

[Carmine5]

As long as WBZ-HD skywave is blowing my station off the dial at night, count on me to publicly oppose IBOC. As long as technical alchemy is used to distort the regulatory process to benefit an self-made radio royalty class at the expense of others, and the Alliance, the NAB and iBiquity continue to chant laughably implausible lies in blind pursuit of this deader-than-disco technology, I'm gonna fight it.

I was just reading on Bob's "Stop IBOC" site about the various AM station groups that installed HD Radio only to shut it down because of interference.

It got me wondering if there is some way to simulate or model potential IBOC interference in a specific region before a station or station group invests in HD Radio.

I know I would be livid if I had to shut down a system I had just paid six figures for (not counting any preparation costs before installing it) because of interference issues.

C5

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

I was just reading on Bob's "Stop IBOC" site about the various AM station groups that installed HD Radio only to shut it down because of interference.

It got me wondering if there is some way to simulate or model potential IBOC interference in a specific region before a station or station group invests in HD Radio.

I know I would be livid if I had to shut down a system I had just paid six figures for (not counting any preparation costs before installing it) because of interference issues.

Don't you understand? There are NO problems with HD. Bob Struble himself said so. :

Anyone with about half an hour's worth of training in broadcast engineering knows what will happen when you throw digital carriers into the frequencies next to yours. The WBZ interference to WYSL and all the similar situations were easily predictable without the need to do any studies.

 

[Savage]

No adjacent-channel "studies" were done, worthy of being so called, because everybody already understood what was going to happen. There was no point in officially documenting an interference disaster beforehand. Every engineer with any MW qualifications, training or experience didn't need "a study" to predict what HD-AM was going to inflict on adjacent channels.

People like Barry McLarnon, an eminently qualified researcher and developer of digital radio broadcasting systems for decades, were simply ignored.

iBiquity, the NAB and the Unholy Alliance made their bed. Now they're lying in it. Lying, lying, lying. Every day in every way.

 

[Savage]

And Carmine5 brings up an excellent point: AM or FM, any broadcaster out there (obviously the variety which have been struck in the head by a flying object) seriously considering installing IBOC, does so at his/her own peril.

Not only does HD not work acceptably in the field, it makes any station operating IBOC a potential defendant in litigation over interference. If HD is permitted to continue injuring adjacent-channel stations it's only a matter of time before a precedent-setting federal suit is filed. The only reasons there haven't been actions over HD-AM are: most of the big Alliance stations have done self-mitigation, as in turning off select stations in their groups at night to minimize problems, and smaller stations don't have a quarter million bucks or so to drag Alliance members and iBiquity to court. Also some operators just don't care that much about their AM properties. This situation will change if the tenfold digital increase proposed for HD-FM kicks in. These high-bucks FM move-ins in major markets will NOT sit on the sidelines and passively accept giant reductions in coverage because of HD interference.

So, go ahead and blow a couple hundred grand on HD, hybrid digital fans. Then go ahead and blow three or four hundred grand on a lawsuit. It's your HD party!

BTW, the foregoing estimates are for LEGAL EXPENSES. Any proposed settlement or judgment for economic loss would not be included in these figures. Enjoy serving your dozen digital listeners with HD!