HD board has changed....

[Chuck]

Prior to Ibquity's IBOC model being adopted for AM, albeit in a limited range and use, I suggested the option at NAB one year, that stations to be granted on a first-come-first-served basis, experimental licenses for early adopters of full-boat digital modulation on the AM band. The plan would be that if you had a AM station in a market with a under-served expanded band, or where stations in the expanded band opted out of that use only to stay in the core AM band, one can apply for a 1kW-N.D., all digitally modulated carrier. In my view, eventually we should go all digital modulation, or forget it and watch AM fade away.

I tend to agree with you, and I'll bet a lot of other people do to. On some other Boards, there has been talk that the FCC should re-allocate the 26 MHz band for digital only radio. Other talk has involved resurrecting the 40-50 MHz Armstrong band for digital radio, while others suggest annexing TV channels 5 & 6 to expand the FM band. I believe that all of those proposals have merit. Since we're talking about the public needing to purchase new radios anyway, all of these plans are feasible, but they will take Congressional intervention to ever come to pass. I'm sure that Ibiquity's scheme works fine for a digital only broadcast. So does DRM. The problem is we are taking a band aid approach trying to piggyback too much into too little space. Like Scotty said on Startrek, “Jim, I kanna change the laws of physics.”

Radio World's "Guy Wire" has suggested thinning the herd in order to make IBOC work. Under that plan, a lot of stations would be forced to go dark. It certainly is a solution, but I can't say I think it is fair to either small station owners or the communities they serve. Somebody is going to get screwed in the process. He has also proposed giving daytime AM stations a nice new FM translator to use to serve their communities. NAB is even supporting that idea. Without expanding the band, I have no idea where they think they could be put. Maybe everyone is supposed to move to Montana? There are plenty of open channels there.

The jury is out as far as the viability of the current version of HD radio. The public will eventually decide. I'm guessing that it will have the same kind of shelf life as AM stereo and Dolby FM.

In the mean time, the current system has very little to offer for small broadcasters. On FM, it is supposed to work to the 64 dbu contour, but recent reports indicate otherwise. Now I'm hearing real world results that HD only works reliably to the 70 dbu contour. Even 64 dbu simply isn't enough coverage. To me, even at optimistic signal strength figures, that difference is 10,000 potential listeners VS. 125,000 listeners. It doesn't take very long to figure out that equation.

 

[pullitin]

Now this is funny ;D ;D ;D why I had to post one more time. Why dont you fight HD-TV???? HD TV is STILL AROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hipporadio]

NO DOUBT that is very common... But it is far from "absolute"... There are many "trash to treasure" and "lemons turned into lemonade" examples in small market radio. Those who accomplish these goals should be congratulated--not stereotyped!

Yes, it happens. The most spectacular examples I've seen is where a signal can be upgraded to rimshot or move into a large market and the owner sells it.

While I cannot describe my own experience as “spectacular”—it would conform to the analogy I made above; and in no way was it a “rimshot”. It continues under new and much-larger ownership much as it operated under ours. Small market success isn’t limited to selling the stick to an urban area. From personal acquaintance, I can cite nearly a dozen small market operations that are outstanding. I would not be surprised to find their billings exceed many of the bonused-out FM bottom-feeders in large-market corporate clusters.

I've had to deal with more small market or unrated market engineering headaches than I care to remember. Ancient McMartins and CCAs mostly but also AELs, RCAs, Gates and Collins. Transmitters that should have been put out of their misery long ago - but that's tough to do when the station is barely making enough money to sustain itself, or worse - losing money.

My former engineer contracted, and I know several today who do also. What you describe is very much a part of the small market radio landscape—but it is not the norm, and should not stereotype an otherwise proud and productive operation in an unrated market.

Consider the “savvy-level” of the owner you characterize. It could be fairly described as “low”. Do you really believe that particular operator—who slaps band-aids and twisty-ties on CCA transmitters with McMartin exciters—plays vinyl from QRKs, and carts from old Gates Criterions is posting here on Thanksgiving weekend to comment on HD radio technology? I highly doubt it—he’s the one drinking Egg Nog today in hopes of forgetting the bills on his desk tomorrow!

Chuck has told us that he operates radio in a small market, and that he has no equipment at his station that is over five years old. Consider Chuck’s technically eloquent post regarding digital radio alternatives (in a response to Kelly) second up from this one. Should he suffer the “small market stereotype” you advance and be deemed unfit to comment on HD Radio? I’m sure logic will lead you to conclude... NOT!

BTW... I had my first occasion to see and hear the celebrated Harris DAX-1 digital AM transmitter the other day. AWESOME rig and sound quality... It was operating at an AM stand-alone in a city of 17,000... Sorry, NO IBOC!

 

[Chuck]

[Chuck has told us that he operates radio in a small market, and that he has no equipment at his station that is over five years old. Consider Chuck’s technically eloquent post regarding digital radio alternatives (in a response to Kelly) second up from this one. Should he suffer the “small market stereotype” you advance and be deemed unfit to comment on HD Radio? I’m sure logic will lead you to conclude... NOT!

It's Sunday. I was at the station late this afternoon to do some production work. Small station managers do that. I wouldn't want the "pet of the week" to be the wrong one. Our fans at the local humane society would be disappointed. As far as I'm concerned, local is where it's at. Helping stray animals find a new home is a big part of our local persona. Call it "hokey" if you like, a lot of people like it.

While working in our production room, I realized that I'd lied about the age of some of our equipment. We are guilty of owning a really nice Ampex AG-440B, as well as an Otari MX-8080 tape deck. We also have a Sony Mini Disk player/recorder. We even have a couple of cart machines. Do we use them? Not very often, but they are legacy equipment that deserves a fate that is better than a quick trip to the dumpster. They are also in pristine condition. This is in a "backwater" small station.

All our on air chain is relatively new. Nothing is over five years old. Most of it is totally digital. It simply makes sense to use digital technology when it has a positive benefit. Of course, it is feeding our analog transmitter. So far, I haven't been able to see how digital broadcasting, at least in its current Ibiquity form makes any sense to a local broadcaster. But you know that...

 

[SUPERCASTER]

American auto manufacturers are wise not to consider HD Radio as factory equipment. The warranty expenses for this defective HD Radio system would further detract from their anemic bottom lines.
HD radio has very limited coverage and does not travel well, and travel is usually what people usually do in vehicles. Car buyers will reasonably expect HD digital to have similar coverage to analog , without all the switching and rolling back to analog, or loosing the HD2 and HD3 streams entirely. These are fatal defects for HD Radio in portables or car radios, and without those, HD is doomed.
Foreign manufacturers have even less incentive to make a limited number of special HD radios for sale in a few countries.

 

[dbdigital]

Now this is funny ;D ;D ;D why I had to post one more time. Why dont you fight HD-TV???? HD TV is STILL AROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For one thing, the HDTV standard was not based upon the idiotic idea that the analog and digital signals be muxed together on the same channel. The FCC has assigned and is assigning other channels for DTV-only transmission to broadcasters, thus assuring a relatively orderly transition to HDTV in 2009.

But HD Radio in hybrid mode is a train wreck. The FCC should have considered a similar approach in migrating radio to digital instead of bowing to pressure from media conglomerates.

db

 

[700WLW]

This is off-topic, but truly hilarious !

http://sefthuko.livejournal.com/127500.html

 

[SUPERCASTER]

Now this is funny ;D ;D ;D why I had to post one more time. Why dont you fight HD-TV???? HD TV is STILL AROUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are confusing problematic hybrid HD Radio with HD TV. Because iBiquity and the cartel chose the HD moniker to try to gain promotional traction for their defective hybrid radio system. The two have little in common. Not everything "digital" is the same, or necessarily desirable. Some digital is absolutely dreadful, like HD Digital radio, and should not get final FCC approval.
The only thing "funny" is the stench coming from the HD Radio cartel's snake oil marketing campaign, for a defective system and products.

 

[SUPERCASTER]

This is off-topic, but truly hilarious !

http://sefthuko.livejournal.com/127500.html

It's just the HD cartel making more false claims about digital vs. analog radio propagation on the same AM and FM bands in order to peddle their defective snake oil.