So says iBiquity leader Bob Struble:
http://www.rwonline.com/article/104034
http://www.rwonline.com/article/104034
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HD Radio: 3 Million Sold - And Counting!
- Thread starter DToTheJ
- Start date
I know of 8 HD receivers recently installed for monitoring purposes at a local radio group. They have three FM's running HD. The eight receivers were installed to monitor the four FM's with three HD's. The reason for eight is so they all look the same and all the holes in the rack space are filled.
Savage said:iBiquity: "four million" in regular use.(If you're gonna tell a whopper, might as well keep blowing it up.)
Next Bob will be telling us; "(I had a vision of) 40 MILLION HD RADIOS SOLD! We've reached critical mess--I mean mass."
As sales of HD Radios stay at a trickle, station conversions of IBOC hit a plateau, according to a BIA study. In 2009 2,040 stations were broadcasting HD Radio with only a slight bump up to 2,056 by April of this year. The FCC total for full-power radio stations in March of this year is 14,453 which means 12,397 stations have chosen to stay analog. That is a huge percentage of hold outs.
According to Leslie's report: "...some broadcasters remain unconvinced IBOC provides a clear ROI, and that iBiquity has appeared to struggle to achieve uptake beyond a core of its own investors and other early adopters."
http://www.rwonline.com/article/103514
As would be expected of RW, Ms. Stimson's report puts a positive spin on this trend but the figures don't lie.
A couple more HD-AMs winked off last month. Barry McLarnon's tabulation is now 247, with only about 82 on with digital wonderfulness 24-7. That's off about 50 stations, more or less, from HD-AM's high-water mark in 2008.
HD-FM is all about having the subs for pubcasters, so they've got additional relatively low-cost outlets for jazz and classical fans. The only other bright spot is providing a means for group owners to evade FCC ownership caps, using HD-2s as primaries for analog translators. The default programming for the vast majority of HD-2 and HD-3 is automated, repetitive dreck and dreary simulcasts of outside-the-market corporate formats. (Oh, yes: and dead air.)
Other than that: yep, beyond pubcasters and Alliance HD investors, plus isolated cheerleaders like Jerry Lee - it's barely got a pulse.
HD-FM is all about having the subs for pubcasters, so they've got additional relatively low-cost outlets for jazz and classical fans. The only other bright spot is providing a means for group owners to evade FCC ownership caps, using HD-2s as primaries for analog translators. The default programming for the vast majority of HD-2 and HD-3 is automated, repetitive dreck and dreary simulcasts of outside-the-market corporate formats. (Oh, yes: and dead air.)
Other than that: yep, beyond pubcasters and Alliance HD investors, plus isolated cheerleaders like Jerry Lee - it's barely got a pulse.
Hey, wait a minute!!
So The Stroob ("Baghdad Bob HD") claims 3 million HD radios have been sold? How interesting that the BIA study in the linked RW article claims "2.5 million" HD receivers have been sold, quoting - (pause...for...effect) - iBiquity.
Can't we even keep our LIES straight?? Jeez, Baghdad Bob, if you're gonna pick a number out of the air, it would be a good idea to keep the fibbery consistent WITHIN YOUR OWN COMPANY.
Unbelievable. Literally.
So The Stroob ("Baghdad Bob HD") claims 3 million HD radios have been sold? How interesting that the BIA study in the linked RW article claims "2.5 million" HD receivers have been sold, quoting - (pause...for...effect) - iBiquity.
Can't we even keep our LIES straight?? Jeez, Baghdad Bob, if you're gonna pick a number out of the air, it would be a good idea to keep the fibbery consistent WITHIN YOUR OWN COMPANY.
Unbelievable. Literally.
Savage said:
Well, two out of three ain't bad.
Where I live, "automated, repeitive dreck" and "dead air" are some of the most common things I hear on regular analog radio. That is, when local stations can even be bothered to be on the air in the first place! So I guess it's par for the course for broadcasters in general to do the same with HD.
They may just be counting the number of HD chips sold. For example, every Zune sold will count as an "HD Radio".
The Sony HD radio is one of the best FM receivers around, and the price is low. Many people are buying it for the analog FM reception. It's even used to feed translators.
Every station that multicasts in a PPM market will have one HD radio per HD channel for monitoring. So if an FM station has an HD1, HD2, and HD3, they should have 3 HD radios to monitor the PPM encoder. There are hundreds of Best Buy stores, and a lot of the Insignias are sitting on the shelf for months. A lot of the HD radios have been returned as "defective."
An HD2 station in Baltimore showed up in the Arbitron ratings. I'm sure the number of HD radios that exist within 10 miles of Baltimore is less than its alleged cume. Therefore, the listeners are listening over the Internet, not with HD radio.
The Sony HD radio is one of the best FM receivers around, and the price is low. Many people are buying it for the analog FM reception. It's even used to feed translators.
Every station that multicasts in a PPM market will have one HD radio per HD channel for monitoring. So if an FM station has an HD1, HD2, and HD3, they should have 3 HD radios to monitor the PPM encoder. There are hundreds of Best Buy stores, and a lot of the Insignias are sitting on the shelf for months. A lot of the HD radios have been returned as "defective."
An HD2 station in Baltimore showed up in the Arbitron ratings. I'm sure the number of HD radios that exist within 10 miles of Baltimore is less than its alleged cume. Therefore, the listeners are listening over the Internet, not with HD radio.
Also in the news, Pandora hits 60 Million users, HD Radio will never beat that!
Nick said:
I've heard that claim, but I don't see it listed in the latest Baltimore ratings summary:
http://www.radio-info.com/site/markets/grid/baltimore
Or am I looking in the wrong place?
Anyway, I find it more interesting that WVBV, a non-comm based way over in Marlton, NJ (past Philadelphia), made the cut in Baltimore with an estimated cume of over 20,000. Apparently, these listeners are tuned to an 8 watt translator in Baltimore city, a 10-watter in White Marsh, or possibly another translator out in Aberdeen. Still, that's pretty good reach for "peanut whistle" FM.
Yet Bob Struble still insists AM/FM cannot remain the only analog medium in a "fully digital world". But unless we burn every printed book on earth, we'll never have a fully digital world -- so let's just save the money we would have wasted on HD equipment and continue to enjoy the natural sound of analog radio.
Speaking of dead air, Jerry Del Colliano had an interesting story in his blog today. CBS in Hartford, CT simulcasts their AM station, WTIC, on their FM station's HD2 channel.
Unfortunately, the simulcast audio feed had been off for an entire week before anyone noticed. The station engineer was unaware of it and apparently only one listener called to complain. According to the lone listener: "I told [the engineer], and he walked over and checked, and said "Oh Yeah, there isn't any audio"." The HD2 audio was back on that evening.
http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/
Unfortunately, the simulcast audio feed had been off for an entire week before anyone noticed. The station engineer was unaware of it and apparently only one listener called to complain. According to the lone listener: "I told [the engineer], and he walked over and checked, and said "Oh Yeah, there isn't any audio"." The HD2 audio was back on that evening.
http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/
Maybe that listener is in the radio industry, hence he contacted the engineer of WTIC personally.
I am one of the first to notice if HD1 and analog is out of sync, or if the HD broadcast is out, and I do post that on said radio station's Facebook page. One hilarious reply I got from a station was "I didn't know we even had an HD broadcast" (uhhh, yes you do, and it's out of sync with the analog). I feel like I'm "special" because I own an HD Radio.
I am one of the first to notice if HD1 and analog is out of sync, or if the HD broadcast is out, and I do post that on said radio station's Facebook page. One hilarious reply I got from a station was "I didn't know we even had an HD broadcast" (uhhh, yes you do, and it's out of sync with the analog). I feel like I'm "special" because I own an HD Radio.
I had a similar experience here in Rochester. I was speaking with the cluster manager - repeat, THE GM - of a station group here and casually inquired about one of their HD-2 streams.
The astonishing response: oh, HD? Those side channel things? I don't know anything about those. They're all programmed by corporate, we don't have anything to do with it.
The astonishing response: oh, HD? Those side channel things? I don't know anything about those. They're all programmed by corporate, we don't have anything to do with it.
If HD radio came standard with every Chevrolet or Ford the awareness and transition time period would take place quicker. But you have to pay to play and buy their upgraded package.
If the car guys thought for a moment HD would help sell more cars HD would be free in a heart beat. $10.00 or 15.00 or whatever times billions of cars eats up their profits.
It's going to take forever for HD to gain any traction. 3 million HD radios sold since 2002?
give me a break! Forget about HD...
If the car guys thought for a moment HD would help sell more cars HD would be free in a heart beat. $10.00 or 15.00 or whatever times billions of cars eats up their profits.
It's going to take forever for HD to gain any traction. 3 million HD radios sold since 2002?
give me a break! Forget about HD...
M
Mike Walker
Guest
It took FM almost four decades after it's post WWII re-launch to reach audience parity with AM...and more than two decades after the introduction of FM stereo.
People replace radios not when something new and shiny comes out (well radio geeks do that), but when their old system dies, or they need a new radio. HD comes "bundled" in so much gear today that millions of people are buying HD radios without even realizing they're doing it.
According to an article at Radio World online, demand for the Insignia pocket portable (which I own and love) is ten-times what Best Buy had anticipated. It's the first genuine "hit" HD Radio product...one going home with people who are looking for a great pocket radio, not just with radio nerds.
There are enough "radio nerds" to support niche markets. Take shortwave radios, for example...they've never gone away (in fact there are some wonderful ones available!), despite the fact that most people have no idea they exist. But HD has gone past the "niche" stage. As another thread here notes, HD multicast stations are starting to show-up in ratings.
Personally, I've got no "dog in this fight". I am for digital delivery of audio content, because the noise and distortion free sound without the suppression of high frequencies in analog FM stereo is addictive. But I personally don't care if it's received over the air, or, should the infrastructure exist to support it, the internet via "wi-max". I want my radio digital, with wide-open highs, unrestricted stereo separation, and no noise!
People replace radios not when something new and shiny comes out (well radio geeks do that), but when their old system dies, or they need a new radio. HD comes "bundled" in so much gear today that millions of people are buying HD radios without even realizing they're doing it.
According to an article at Radio World online, demand for the Insignia pocket portable (which I own and love) is ten-times what Best Buy had anticipated. It's the first genuine "hit" HD Radio product...one going home with people who are looking for a great pocket radio, not just with radio nerds.
There are enough "radio nerds" to support niche markets. Take shortwave radios, for example...they've never gone away (in fact there are some wonderful ones available!), despite the fact that most people have no idea they exist. But HD has gone past the "niche" stage. As another thread here notes, HD multicast stations are starting to show-up in ratings.
Personally, I've got no "dog in this fight". I am for digital delivery of audio content, because the noise and distortion free sound without the suppression of high frequencies in analog FM stereo is addictive. But I personally don't care if it's received over the air, or, should the infrastructure exist to support it, the internet via "wi-max". I want my radio digital, with wide-open highs, unrestricted stereo separation, and no noise!
I have no idea what BB's management "had anticipated" for sales of the first-gen Insignia. But I do have from an excellent source, what the initial production run was: 5000 pieces. Now I also hasten to add, I have no idea whether the first-gen had subsequent production runs after the first 5000. But given the product's decidedly mixed reviews (see this board) you can color me skeptical that total sales is more than in the lower tens of thousands. Certainly the Insignia was a low-cost entry-level HD receiver for radio professionals and "sidelines" industry fans. Beyond that, I would guess there are very few non-radio-geeks walking around listening to Insignias. (I will note here that your source for the Insignia claims is Radio World. About a year ago RW apparently decided to become a house organ for HD Radio. They devote a regular drooling "News" feature section to HD Radio and have taken an overt editorial stance supporting IBOC, so their enthusiasm over the Insignia isn't very significant - or suprising.)
Mike - love ya, man, but you really need to stop flogging that "FM took 40 years to overtake AM" swaybacked, fleabitten horse. It's pretty much undisputed nowadays that the comparison of FM's rollout to HD's, for purposes of predicting eventual (ahem) "ubiquity" is a complete fallacy. It's like trying to predict the future of a modern-day product by pointing to the success of the Model T Ford.
A couple other points: yes, you can have commercial success with a niche product. But HD can't survive being a niche product. It's too expensive and too demanding. The cost and benefit curves never cross (and we're momentarily ignoring, strictly for purposes of this narrow argument, the enormous engineering problems, particularly interference of several unacceptable types.)
You make a sweeping claim that HD-2s are starting to show up in ratings. Yes - so far, two, last I checked. And the formats on the HD-2s are also available on web streams and analog translators. If you really want to know how successful any format is on an HD subchannel, you'd have to measure the HD-2's audience without any other media's simulcast presence.
Mike - love ya, man, but you really need to stop flogging that "FM took 40 years to overtake AM" swaybacked, fleabitten horse. It's pretty much undisputed nowadays that the comparison of FM's rollout to HD's, for purposes of predicting eventual (ahem) "ubiquity" is a complete fallacy. It's like trying to predict the future of a modern-day product by pointing to the success of the Model T Ford.
A couple other points: yes, you can have commercial success with a niche product. But HD can't survive being a niche product. It's too expensive and too demanding. The cost and benefit curves never cross (and we're momentarily ignoring, strictly for purposes of this narrow argument, the enormous engineering problems, particularly interference of several unacceptable types.)
You make a sweeping claim that HD-2s are starting to show up in ratings. Yes - so far, two, last I checked. And the formats on the HD-2s are also available on web streams and analog translators. If you really want to know how successful any format is on an HD subchannel, you'd have to measure the HD-2's audience without any other media's simulcast presence.
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