Heard another idiotic HD commercial on WZLX yesterday

[raccoonradio]

Other than situations like:
--WJMF in RI moving to HD & webstreaming due to WCRB simulcast on main signal

--The San Fran situation of the USF station moving to HD & webstreaming due to various moves

--Pitt. jazz fans seeing WDUQ going from 100 hrs/wk to 6 hrs/wk, but an all jazz station starting
on HD and webstreaming*

But those are ...just a small group of listeners... in the long run.

The stations are out there if people want them, but most people may be satisfied with
'regular radio'. If they want an all-blues station, let's say, some may get an HD radio or
get XM-Sirius (I have both). But again, this is a small group of listeners. And you may have
to live fairly close to the transmitter to pick up the HD signals.

Despite all the ads they run how many people even KNOW what HD radio is?

*--"Well, we'll always have Little E's"--a woman from the Pittsburgh Blues Society whom I talked to briefly when out there, attending a blues show. Little E's is a jazz club...I was talking to her
about the changes at WDUQ. ( http://www.littleesjazz.com/ )

 

[CTListener]

Despite all the ads they run how many people even KNOW what HD radio is?

Buckley Broadcasting's WDRC-FM Hartford calls it "High Definition Radio" in its top-of-the-hour ID! "HD" stands for either nothing or "hybrid digital," right? How in the world do you market streams of lesser quality than a normal full-bandwidth FM signal as being "high"-anything?

 

[Savage]

Yeah, what's the point of a listener "trying to buy an HD Radio" when, for the most part, you can't any more?

I know, I know. If you hunt hard and long enough you may find a dusty new-old-stock BA Receptor or Accurian here or there, but at retail it's pretty much over for HD save for the much-balloyhoo'ed Insignia portable(s)** and aftermarket car-radio tuners. A recent visit to Coby's website seemed to indicate they've vacated the HD building.

** "Reliable sources" reported to this writer that total production of the Insignia portables was fewer than 15,000 pieces. FWIW.... :

 

[Jimmy128]

With all the crowding lately on the FM dial there has to be someplace to put all these new stations. Maybe HD is a band aid for this problem. I once heard that the FM band was going to be extended to start from 76kHz. But I highly doubt that is going to happen. Also, WBZ-FM is now simulcasting on one of their CBS stations in Hartford in HD3.
So they're obviously going to stick with it for a quite while at least. Remember at one time before the mid '60s very few people listened to FM now it's AM that's on life support.

 

[Deleted User]

Buckley Broadcasting's WDRC-FM Hartford calls it "High Definition Radio" in its top-of-the-hour ID!

I do believe that is a licensing violation, IIRC Ibiquity's contract specifies that only the term "HD" can be used, and it has no meaning as far as they are concerned. From Ibiquity's website

"HD Radio™ and the HD, HD Radio, and “Arc” logos are proprietary trademarks of iBiquity Digital Corporation. “

Note: The 'HD' in 'HD Radio' does not mean 'high-definition' or 'hybrid digital'. It is part of iBiquity's brand for its digital radio technology."

 

[Deleted User]

PS some funny stuff here: http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=193994.0;topicseen

 

[CTListener]

Buckley Broadcasting's WDRC-FM Hartford calls it "High Definition Radio" in its top-of-the-hour ID!

I do believe that is a licensing violation, IIRC Ibiquity's contract specifies that only the term "HD" can be used, and it has no meaning as far as they are concerned. From Ibiquity's website

"HD Radio™ and the HD, HD Radio, and “Arc” logos are proprietary trademarks of iBiquity Digital Corporation. “

Note: The 'HD' in 'HD Radio' does not mean 'high-definition' or 'hybrid digital'. It is part of iBiquity's brand for its digital radio technology."

Unless it's in the written contract, though, DRC could call it "helluva deal radio" or "hunky dory radio" or "Howdy Doody radio" or anything else, right? At this point, Ibiquity's got to be glad that there's a station out there that's still calling attention to HD every hour, I would think.

 

[Jimmy128]

Went away to Vermont with some friends last weekend. I thought that I was going to miss my "Radio Mojo".

My friend showed me how to get it on his T Mobile phone. We plugged it into the stereo. It was Hunky Dory.

So, you don't even need an HD radio to get the stations. Anywhere. Awwwwsome!!!!!




R.I.P. Amy Winehouse. Great talent. Booze and dope. Very sad story of a troubled girl.

 

[iyiyi]

Scott, I will respectfully - but emphatically - disagree with your comparison of HD's rollout with that of FM and FM stereo. I was actually there and in radio at the time and the situations have only a proposed power increase in common.

Maybe there is a tenuous comparison between the proposed digital power increase for HD-FM and the upgrades of FMs to class maximums in ERP in the 60s - plus developments like universal stereo and circular polarization. But using the two power increase scenarios to predict similar widespread acceptance for HD is a fallacy.

By far, the major impetus for FM's rollout was the 1966 proscription on 24-7 simulcasting with sister AMs. This forced mass-appeal formats onto FM. And as BRNout has quite accurately observed, FM Stereo represented a huge improvement over AM with its directional pattern shortfalls, noise and limited bandwidth, even on superior AM radios of the era. HD offers no such advance over analog FM - and brings along a big stack of technical baggage as well. Enthusiasts notice the difference of digital over analog but the general public doesn't get it.

Another factor which hasn't gotten much discussion: HD is controversial, for a variety of reasons. FM never was. It was immediately embraced as an obvious technical improvement, readily apparent even to casual listeners. FM didn't degrade the status quo of radio reception or injure other broadcasters. And it was reasonably priced without confiscatory perpetual licensing.

As BRNout has observed, 1965-75 was a different media era. HD has a far bigger acceptance mountain to climb and hauls along with it a lot more negatives, from both the broadcaster's and listener's perspectives.

For a fair comparison you really have to compare FM in that specific span. Really, the FM mass-acceptance rollout spanned less than ten years when you factor in real-world conditions at the time. FM was far, far more accepted at a similar point in development as HD is. There was never a question about FM. There always will be about HD.

Is that right?! Actually there were we now?!

A couple of poseurs spent a hot, sunny, Sunday afternoon in July of 1966 wandering Broadway. They were taking the trains to Shea. but wound up back in the city instead. There were new posters on the subways that had sprouted overnight like mushrooms. The ubiquitous "93am WPAT 93fm" ads were suddenly challenged by posters depicting silhouettes of some type of musicians. WOR fm 98.7 is pretty much all those new ads said.

What kind of music do they play? "WOR means it MUST be Baroque or Classical related" says one guy. "Sure looks like rock and rollers to me!" says the other guy. A buck and beer bet was quickly made and the day's itinerary altered to find an fm radio to consummate the wager. Broadway was chosen because they had no idea where to begin looking for an fm and hoped a merchant had one and could be persuaded to allow a fast listen to 98.7.

Broadway is an incredibly HUGE street. Try finding a store selling an fm radio on it in 1966. Picture the image of a couple of extremely embarrassed guys quickly slinking from a Hi-Fi store; while a very pissed off, glaring 60y/o lady stands holding a tinny sounding radio. A fast segue of one teeny tune to another sealed the bet. Hours of locating an fm radio to listen to less than 60 seconds of crap. So I'm told, anyway.

Compared to FM's tribulations, HD radio is a turnkey operation, my friend!


-

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

Broadway is an incredibly HUGE street. Try finding a store selling an fm radio on it in 1966. Picture the image of a couple of extremely embarrassed guys quickly slinking from a Hi-Fi store; while a very pissed off, glaring 60y/o lady stands holding a tinny sounding radio. A fast segue of one teeny tune to another sealed the bet. Hours of locating an fm radio to listen to less than 60 seconds of crap. So I'm told, anyway.

Well, you were told wrong. I was there in 1966, and FM radios were quite easy to come by on Broadway and elsewhere. Programming, at that time, was mostly simulcasts, but a few NYC FM stations were starting to stretch out and innovate. It wouldn't really take hold until the following year, when the FCC's split-programming edict took effect.

Compared to FM's tribulations, HD radio is a turnkey operation, my friend!

Turnkey? Really? Have you ever installed an HD transmitting plant?

 

[Jimmy128]

What a great radio station WZLX HD2 "Radio Mojo" is.

Better than listening to everybody whining on WEEI over another Red Sox September swoon.


Don't get me wrong, I love the Red Sox, but, I can't listen to that.

 

[iyiyi]

What a great radio station WZLX HD2 "Radio Mojo" is.

Better than listening to everybody whining on WEEI over another Red Sox September swoon.


Don't get me wrong, I love the Red Sox, but, I can't listen to that.

100% agree with you! There is no way we could enjoy Radio Mojo if HD didn't provide WZLX opportunity to augment their excellent Classic Rock with the deep tracks and expanded variety Mojo adds to Boston radio.


=

 

[iyiyi]

I was probably also misinformed about miniscule set penetration and vertical polarity issues FM had with auto radios, all the way through the 70s and even into the 80s (ever heard of "windshield antennas"?). I'm sure Detroit also had foresight to punch 2 holes in the rear deck and 2 holes in the dash so people could easily install stereo speakers for FM and 8 tracks. the stories of placing a 6x9 speaker in the single hole that some cars had for a "rear speaker", and using the factory installed single dashboard speaker for the other stereo channel is also BS. Most folk didn't listen to FM on underdash converters through their AM radios either. FM "cartridges" for 8 tracks? Of course FM radios were dirt cheap back then. You can't go to any flea market without tripping over mountains of old stereo FM radios from the sixties and 70's. FM set market penetrations of less than 20% through the mid 70s are also a myth. One was lucky to get an in dash FM stereo cassette radio for $250.00 in 1972, and have it professionally installed for another $250.00 (ever tried cutting two 6x9 speaker holes in a Buick rear deck?). Guaranteed the radio would be speedily uninstalled and sold for $15.00 on the street the first time you parked the car somewhere, though.





Never installed an HD transmitter. I am stupid, not crazy! Always call "The Guy With The Truck" because he has the wherewithal to deal with the situation. Watch every move he makes, listen to every word he says and you will quickly realize the value of "The Guy"! I learned enough on AM stereo installations.

Turnkey? I grabbed an Insignia, plugged a cheap FM modulator ($15.00 at the Cumberland Farms gas station) into it's headphone jack, and instantly had a number of crystal clear, full stereo HD channels playable on any FM radio on my property. It also serves about 25+ nearby houses in my beach neighborhood. Ditto for the car. Double ditto in that I can take the Insignia and modulator (powered by 2 mighty AAA cells) anywhere (easily demonstrate Radio Mojo to a friend over his own sound system in his own living room for an example) and enjoy HD with zero hassle. You could never do something like that 40 years ago.

Yes. I DO mean turnkey.


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[KB1OKL]

Glad to see this thread I started two years ago is still going, in fact I heard another idiotic HD commercial on WZLX a few days ago, my car with Sirius XM is in the shop and I have to listen to FM for the time being. Now WZLX is (as far as commercial radio goes) pretty good but when oh when are they going to realize that HD radio is a huge flop?

 

[Jimmy128]

Glad to see this thread I started two years ago is still going, in fact I heard another idiotic HD commercial on WZLX a few days ago, my car with Sirius XM is in the shop and I have to listen to FM for the time being. Now WZLX is (as far as commercial radio goes) pretty good but when oh when are they going to realize that HD radio is a huge flop?

If you are listening on the computer there is a level playing field for all stations.

What I like is that with WZLX HD2 you get a format of all blues, something you don't get on standard radio. Also no commercials unless you listen on line.

As for Smooth Jazz, I can't stand WMJX HD2, but I listen to this: http://www.cjazzchannel.com/


There are so many choices now, although I don't see the value of HD on AM.

 

[Jimmy128]

Glad to see this thread I started two years ago is still going, in fact I heard another idiotic HD commercial on WZLX a few days ago, my car with Sirius XM is in the shop and I have to listen to FM for the time being. Now WZLX is (as far as commercial radio goes) pretty good but when oh when are they going to realize that HD radio is a huge flop?

Let me add, as for Sirius/XM, I'm definitely NOT going to renew that when my subscription runs out.

 

[raccoonradio]

This time of yr is when I get a little more use from my XM radio: baseball playoffs, as I drive. Last night,
for example. Tech. I could have gotten WPHT Phila. on my AM but I could get that, OR the St Louis
station or ESPN coverage, via XM

I pay by the month and it works out to about 50 cents a day. I can swing that.

 

[Jimmy128]

I just put WODS HD2 and it dosen't come in on my HD radio.

All other HD CBS stations come in.

But I can get WODS HD2 on line. I wonder what up?

 

[jlehmann]

I just put WODS HD2 and it dosen't come in on my HD radio.

All other HD CBS stations come in.

But I can get WODS HD2 on line. I wonder what up?

There must be something going on with the FM128 master FM antenna right now. 94.5, 98.5, and 103.3 all have their HD off.

 

[Jimmy128]

I just put WODS HD2 and it dosen't come in on my HD radio.

All other HD CBS stations come in.

But I can get WODS HD2 on line. I wonder what up?

There must be something going on with the FM128 master FM antenna right now. 94.5, 98.5, and 103.3 all have their HD off.

O.K., I didn't check 98.5.