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HD in Tampa

UUill

UUill

There is a lot of talk about HD going extinct in the coming year. I have been an HD listener now for just under a year and can honestly say, I'd be pretty irriatated if HD disappeared. In my opinion HD has really taken terrestrial radio to the next level however, management has chosen for whatever reason to not fully embrace it.

Of course, at a time when thousands of talent around the country are loosing their job to budget cuts I can sort of understand why.

What do you think the future of HD as a whole is, and specifically what are some of your thoughts on HD here in Tampa?

I don't listen to a lot of the HD2/HD3 stations but, it certainly is nice to tune into AM now and have a much clearer crisp sound. I never listened to 970 prior to HD except to listen to Bulls games when I couldn't attend. I now listen to 970 pretty much every week day. The same goes for several other AM stations.

On the FM side, I have noticed a better sound quality out of stations like 97.1, and 107.3 as well as 89.7 and 88.5. I think know that the programming on the HD2/HD3 components sucks.

Clear channel's use of format lab on their HD2 properties is ridiculous. 93.3 HD2 and 100.7 HD2 sound almost the same, with the exception of their liners, I can't stand the Quiet storm on 95.7 at night so why would I want to listen to it all the time on their HD2 station? 97.9 HD2 is simply a rebroadcast of 970 (or it was last time I listened) and I rarely listen to CC's country station.

I enjoy 101.5 HD2, except they only have about 20 songs on their play list and you essentially can hear the entire play list on one trip from South Saint Petersburg to Orlando. 107.3 HD2 is great too, except the same thing.

HD2 has allowed for a complete over saturation of Christian music stations in this market. With the advent of HD Tampa went from 2 or 3 Christian stations to now something like 6 or 7.

Any way, I really enjoy my HD radio and would hate to see it go bye bye. I'm just wondering what some of you other genius' think the future of HD is, and what if any changes we might expect in 09 will be.
 
If you think HD radio sounds good, then there is a serious problem with your radio's analog. HD on AM is gasping it's last breath. It should be buried by a year from now. FM HD has more of a chance but each sub channel I've listened to is loaded with artifacts because the bitrate is so low. The coverage is not as far as the analog and if you are in a car, you will really notice it shift back and forth. And if you are trying to listen to the HD2 or higher, you will notice it cutting out a lot. This technology is not ready for prime time. Also, right now stations are being allowed to experiment with things, but when orders come down that these channels have to start making money, you will see them leased out to organizations that want to play radio. There will be NO formats that compete with the main channel. What you will probably find is niche ethnic programming, and more religion. That is the future of HD my friends.
 
Agreed. When I first got it I thought it was pretty good and was excited about the additional choices and quality... 6-8 months later, I barely ever switch to it from my Sirus/XM or internet streams. It's days are numbered.
 
I listen to both HD and XM... but what are we going to do when XM goes belly up .... the program changes, cut backs as well as their finances are not looking to good to me... I don't even pay a year in advance, because I'm not so sure they will even be there through 2009....

enjoy the day...
 
HD's not going away. Too many stations and major groups have committed to it. It has more of a base than FM did in the 60's or even early 70's. The quality on FM HD is better than Sirus/XM, the data rate is higher and its a better codec.
 
Aside from any technical problems, the lack of HD's being mandated on AM receivers will ultimately result in its abandonment (such as happened to C-Quam AM stereo).
 
You cant compare HD with AM Stereo. Far more stations and groups have adopted HD Radio than ever adopted AM Stereo, regardless of the format. If people felt like you do 50 years ago, we wouldnt have FM today.
 
It's not a matter of how many stations broadcast it, rather it's how many listeners hear it. There appears to be no consumer interest (or even awareness) for the AM version.
 
CQuam failed because it wasnt the best AM stereo. It had real problems with platform motion, especially at night. Kahn's AM Stereo was by far the superiour system, but politics won out. As far as AM HD, There have only been a couple hundred stations that adopted it, and most of them have dumped it. It appears that Clear Channel is the only one left using it, but they only use it if it doesnt trash one of their own stations. In those cases, they have turned it off. There are a few other notables using it, but it is fading away fast. Again, FM HD still has promise.
 
It should also be noted that while Clear Channel and Radio Disney are the only ones still using HD on the AM dial in Tampa Bay, the Clear Channel AM stations turn off the HD when they switch to night patterns. This leaves 1380 as the only one using it full time. That's hardly a commitment.
 
FM had no listeners for 25 years and it survived. If people had the same attitude about FM that you have about HD, FM would not have survived. AM HD has problems, but FM HD is great, at least until the programmers screw up the HD2 channels.
 
Read this Radio World story from 16 months ago:

http://radioworld.com/article/7070

Interesting analysis, and I think the basic problems with HD Radio remain: inadequate differentiation, and a weak marketing campaign. Sure, lots more people know about HD Radio now (though most probably couldn't tell you exactly what it is or does) and even some electronics store salespeople have now heard of it, but the vast majority of folks queried don't think they need this technology. And with analog terrestial radio putting out a worse and worse product with less and less localism, most consumers will be disinclined to pay more to hear it better. You can't fix radio's growing problems with technology: it is live and local personalities and programming that people want to hear. Deregulation, the corporate mindset, and now the economy are all working against a revival of this wonderful medium. HD ain't it.
 
rfrus said:
FM had no listeners for 25 years and it survived. If people had the same attitude about FM that you have about HD, FM would not have survived. AM HD has problems, but FM HD is great, at least until the programmers screw up the HD2 channels.
Click to expand...

It's not the same marketplace and therefore not a valid analogy. HD Radio has far more competition today than FM did simply competing against AM. And remember, aside from the additional HD-2 channels on the FM side, the average consumer will say, "I can already hear the program just fine with my current radio." Simply put, HD radio is in a major uphill battle. The current economic conditions, a very small number of HD units on store shelves, and the fact that while broadcasters are cutting talent and staff from the current channels, that probably means there's absolutely no hope in original or localized programming on the additional HD-2's. Why would they invest in new technology when they can't keep the current technology afloat?
 
HD Radio is as dead as Elvis, both Jim's, Janice and Buddy. The basic problem is the technology. It is impossible to lay it over analogue and get coverage and hi-fidelity in sound. It is being abandoned all over the country on both AM and FM. Washington, DC is the latest city to have most of the AM and FM stations turn off the digital. Good move on their part because there will not be the interference on the side bands as well as the inversion issues on the FM band. Cox has turned it off on all of the AM's. FM's soon to come. Consumers don't care about it enough to replace all of their radios. It was created for two reasons, one to make a lot of money for ibiquity investors and two to try to increase stock value on Wall Street. Now that radio stocks have tanked and ibiquity has made their money, the flawed technology will be shelved over the next few years.....until some other genius comes up with some other digital technology that scams the gullible broadcasters that run publicly traded radio companies.
 
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