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HD Choices coming to Providence

R

Runrigger

Per Andy Smith's article in today's Projo:CC adding HD channels in August or sooner. These formats are all created by CC so it isn't locally programmed. I assume they're jockless.HJY adding a modern rock channel: I assume this doesn't mean new music only but what I'd call classic alt/modern rock too. Probably the best choice for HJY HD.B101 adding a comedy channel. This to me is a complete throwaway, but that's just me. I'd rather see 50s/60s.Coast adding disco/dance. For people who want this format this isn't a bad idea assuming no jocks & at the outset no spots.WHJJ adding a classical channel. Not bad, but knowing nothing about classical I wonder if true fans of the music would rather just play their own CDs.WEEI-FM adding a live rock station within 60 days (concert recordings). Maybe they can call it the music you threw up with.Citadel planning HD formats but no other specifics.So even though prices will eventually come down, will you pay the $299 for a digital receiver? I don't have satellite radio & am the only living person in the universe who doesn't have cable, so there's my answer. Is radio important enough to people to pay the money now? To me it's a good idea for radio to jump into this on the ground floor, but the long term will tell the story. This is obviously radio's answer to listeners wanting more variety, but what about more variety within formats? Frankly I've never felt it's about variety, but about control. People want control over everything they hear or see & HD isn't going to do it.What about the long term, assuming success, when it comes to HD channels siphoning listeners away from the non-HD? Naturally packages can be sold when it comes to the inevitable spots. What about the future for those in the business? HD won't go live. Staffers can voicetrack for the HD channels eventually I suppose, but I wonder if radio might get to the point where if you're not doing drive time when people rely on the medium for more than the music, you're not doing radio...or if you are, you're not enjoying it as much.Lots to talk about here. Any opinions on HD's future & also the impact it will have on existing stations?
 
If you found that article online can you link to it? Otherwise, I'll have to dole out the $0.50 and search for it myself. Thanks!
 
uconngary7 said:
If you found that article online can you link to it? Otherwise, I'll have to dole out the $0.50 and search for it myself. Thanks!
Click to expand...
http://www.projo.com/lifebeat/content/projo_20060517_hdradio.177857f7.htmlIf you haven't registered already at projo.com, clicking on the link will bring you to a sign-in screen but this link will bring you to the story. I had a difficult time finding it online, as I read it in the morning newspaper, but by going to the Lifebeat section then clicking on the field to view all recent stories you'll get there.
 
With all the HD choices Clear Channel has running a comedy channel in itself is pretty hilarious.
 
Thanks for the link Runrigger.It should be interesting to see how these HD Channels are accepted in RI.Does anyone know the reception of these stations? Will they be similar to the signal that their Providence stations have? I live in Westerly and don't always get all the Providence stations "loud and clear" so to speak.I definately don't want to drop $300 for HD channels that have less than stellar reception.
 
I'm really not up on how reception will work in these cases. IMHO none of this is being done with hopes of gaining any appreciable listeners for now. It's all bragging rights. It's more formats so there's variety there but what about variety within each format?
 
The whole HD thing actually seems like it hurts commercial radio more than it helps it. No one at Clear Channel or Citadel or CBS stopped to think that by pushing the HD you're actually driving listeners away from your broadcast stations. It's like owning a restaurant in a town and then opening other restaurants that directly compete with the first one. HD = another corporate radio flop.
 
At this point HD Radio is a marketing ploy. It's a way for Terrestrial Radio to defend themselves against Competition from Satellite Radio. Have you noticed that whenever a station promotes HD Radio they usually mention how they don't charge Monthy fees like Satellite Radio. HD is FREE FREE FREE! Well that's great and all but Unfortunately HD radio isn't giving you 100 specialty Channels like SIRIUS OR XM does. Not to mention that an HD Radio costs about $300 right now. So as it stands TODAY, HD Radio is all a marketing strategy to try and save listeners. In the future..... HD Radio will be a way for stations to gain more revenue by selling Ad time such as they do on regular radio now. The additional revenue stream will be nice since they can basically make more money by using the same frequency. One day HD Radios will just be standard and won't cost any more than a regular Radio does now. But at this time I feel that....... "HD is all hype".
 
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