Back to the topic at hand, it is significant that Detroit is planning on making HD radios available. It will take that for the technology to be even a minimal success. That said, it would still be up to the public to determine if it is a significant leap forward or not. Many new car radios still decode AM stereo, and that isn't a technology that has the attention of your average radio listener. Most don't even know it exists, although they may already own a radio that can actually enjoy the benefit.
Even with car radios on the horizon, HD is a very long-term solution to a problem that really doesn't exist. Without proper care and handling, it is likely to get left in the dust of other technologies and distractions that can and do enjoy much more explosive growth. So far, the “Cartel” has done a miserable job on that front. Devices like the iPod are radio's competition, at least until radio gets back to offering content that I can't carry around in my pocket.
Like El Cheapo, I bought a new car this fall. It does not have HD, but it does have XM, a nice CD player and a jack for an iPod or other device. Unless I wreck the car it will probably be 5-6 years before I get another one. I'm not very inclined to get an outboard HD decoder device to plug into the radio without some very compelling reason to do so. I think that is fairly typical of most people. A lot can happen technology wise before I buy a new vehicle, so I’ll choose to do without it for now.
Speaking as a small station operator, doing without HD is also my choice for now. It simply makes no sense to "take a flyer" on something that may or may not work out. I think most small station owner/operators feel that way. At very best, HD will take an additional five years after the radios first appear in cars to become slightly viable. That's assuming that the car buying cycle for new cars is about every five years. Until that point, it is an expensive way to reach very few people. I'm fairly sure that my small radio stations has about as many listeners on line as most HD-2 stations have over the air. Streaming is certainly a lot cheaper and easier to do. Right now, streaming doesn’t make much money either.
We all know there are some technology issues with HD that may or may not be resolved. Beyond that, there are some very large business issues that simply don't make sense for your average broadcaster. To me that is the real issue. If there are good sound business reasons to make a technology work, then someone will figure them out. Unfortunately, I don't see the reward in that. At least for now, HD is nothing to get worked up over. There is no hurry to convert to digital radio. The money could be put to much better use in programming and promotion of what you already have. Unless you like spending money for the bragging rights, "No thanks, not right now," is probably the appropriate answer for most broadcasters.
