Interesting HD Radio comments from the Philadelphia board

[SUPERCASTER]

The ineptitude of this business as a whole is why HD will never catch on and more than likely go the way of AM stereo within a few years. The entire idea was botched from the start, from the technology itself, to calling it "HD Radio", to the marketing of the radios. Every square inch of the plan has failed miserably. If the industry could have settled on the technology sooner and launched it before satellite and internet became options, it may have had a chance to survive. They didn't, and it won't.

Another meandering thought...most of what's programmed on "regular" terrestrial stations isn't any good, so why would you expect something on a secondary programming outlet, run by the same people, to be any better?

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,78242.msg574310.html#msg574310

 

[dbdigital]

The ineptitude of this business as a whole is why HD will never catch on and more than likely go the way of AM stereo within a few years. The entire idea was botched from the start, from the technology itself, to calling it "HD Radio", to the marketing of the radios. Every square inch of the plan has failed miserably. If the industry could have settled on the technology sooner and launched it before satellite and internet became options, it may have had a chance to survive. They didn't, and it won't.

Another meandering thought...most of what's programmed on "regular" terrestrial stations isn't any good, so why would you expect something on a secondary programming outlet, run by the same people, to be any better?

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,78242.msg574310.html#msg574310

The poster's complaint about the ineptitude of those involved in the HD Radio rollout is right on the money. Even if HD Radio was the best broadcasting technology ever invented, the marketing of it has been a disaster.

Having listened to the radio PSAs for HD-R, I notice that while they dutifully list the bullet points for it (stations between stations, crystal-clear digital sound, song/artist display, etc.) it is never clearly indicated that to enjoy HD Radio you have to replace your existing radio with an HD Radio. Consumer confusion is inevitable.

A person owning, say, a new Lincoln Town Car could look at his in-dash radio and say, "Well, my radio has a digital tuner, the tuner says FM 1 or FM 2, it has RDS so I'm seeing the song title and artist's name, the sound is good and my car is new so I must have HD Radio." That's assuming, of course, that the person is even listening to the ads or gets the concept in the first place.

The other problem is that, even if a person gets the concept, what programming on the other 'stations between stations' is there that would compel him/her to rush out and buy and HD Radio? Do they even know what is available on these secondary channels in their area?

To sell HD Radio, the industry is going to have to spend, spend, spend on billboards, TV spots and print ads. In fact, I'm surprised Clear Channel isn't exploiting their Outdoor Division more by putting up billboard ads for HD Radio. The radio ad campaign has been woefully inadequate.

In short, the radio industry has done a terrible job educating the consumer about HD Radio and they will only have themselves to blame for its failure (not that I care, mind you).

db

 

[MasterTheseus]

The ineptitude of this business as a whole is why HD will never catch on and more than likely go the way of AM stereo within a few years. The entire idea was botched from the start, from the technology itself, to calling it "HD Radio", to the marketing of the radios. Every square inch of the plan has failed miserably. If the industry could have settled on the technology sooner and launched it before satellite and internet became options, it may have had a chance to survive. They didn't, and it won't.

Another meandering thought...most of what's programmed on "regular" terrestrial stations isn't any good, so why would you expect something on a secondary programming outlet, run by the same people, to be any better?

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,78242.msg574310.html#msg574310

The poster's complaint about the ineptitude of those involved in the HD Radio rollout is right on the money. Even if HD Radio was the best broadcasting technology ever invented, the marketing of it has been a disaster.

Having listened to the radio PSAs for HD-R, I notice that while they dutifully list the bullet points for it (stations between stations, crystal-clear digital sound, song/artist display, etc.) it is never clearly indicated that to enjoy HD Radio you have to replace your existing radio with an HD Radio. Consumer confusion is inevitable.

A person owning, say, a new Lincoln Town Car could look at his in-dash radio and say, "Well, my radio has a digital tuner, the tuner says FM 1 or FM 2, it has RDS so I'm seeing the song title and artist's name, the sound is good and my car is new so I must have HD Radio." That's assuming, of course, that the person is even listening to the ads or gets the concept in the first place.

The other problem is that, even if a person gets the concept, what programming on the other 'stations between stations' is there that would compel him/her to rush out and buy and HD Radio? Do they even know what is available on these secondary channels in their area?

To sell HD Radio, the industry is going to have to spend, spend, spend on billboards, TV spots and print ads. In fact, I'm surprised Clear Channel isn't exploiting their Outdoor Division more by putting up billboard ads for HD Radio. The radio ad campaign has been woefully inadequate.

In short, the radio industry has done a terrible job educating the consumer about HD Radio and they will only have themselves to blame for its failure (not that I care, mind you).

db

I agree that there is a lot of work to be done and strategy to be corrected. But to point out that, although the newer commercials may not (I haven't been paying too much attention to them) don't do a good job of it, the earlier commercials were pretty clear that you needed a new radio.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

I agree that there is a lot of work to be done and strategy to be corrected. But to point out that, although the newer commercials may not (I haven't been paying too much attention to them) don't do a good job of it, the earlier commercials were pretty clear that you needed a new radio.

No, they were not. I work for one of the HD Radio Consortium's member groups, and I have heard all the HD Radio commercials. The first ones gave no clue at all that new radios were needed.

 

[dbdigital]

The ineptitude of this business as a whole is why HD will never catch on and more than likely go the way of AM stereo within a few years. The entire idea was botched from the start, from the technology itself, to calling it "HD Radio", to the marketing of the radios. Every square inch of the plan has failed miserably. If the industry could have settled on the technology sooner and launched it before satellite and internet became options, it may have had a chance to survive. They didn't, and it won't.

Another meandering thought...most of what's programmed on "regular" terrestrial stations isn't any good, so why would you expect something on a secondary programming outlet, run by the same people, to be any better?

http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,78242.msg574310.html#msg574310

The poster's complaint about the ineptitude of those involved in the HD Radio rollout is right on the money. Even if HD Radio was the best broadcasting technology ever invented, the marketing of it has been a disaster.

Having listened to the radio PSAs for HD-R, I notice that while they dutifully list the bullet points for it (stations between stations, crystal-clear digital sound, song/artist display, etc.) it is never clearly indicated that to enjoy HD Radio you have to replace your existing radio with an HD Radio. Consumer confusion is inevitable.

A person owning, say, a new Lincoln Town Car could look at his in-dash radio and say, "Well, my radio has a digital tuner, the tuner says FM 1 or FM 2, it has RDS so I'm seeing the song title and artist's name, the sound is good and my car is new so I must have HD Radio." That's assuming, of course, that the person is even listening to the ads or gets the concept in the first place.

The other problem is that, even if a person gets the concept, what programming on the other 'stations between stations' is there that would compel him/her to rush out and buy and HD Radio? Do they even know what is available on these secondary channels in their area?

To sell HD Radio, the industry is going to have to spend, spend, spend on billboards, TV spots and print ads. In fact, I'm surprised Clear Channel isn't exploiting their Outdoor Division more by putting up billboard ads for HD Radio. The radio ad campaign has been woefully inadequate.

In short, the radio industry has done a terrible job educating the consumer about HD Radio and they will only have themselves to blame for its failure (not that I care, mind you).

db

I agree that there is a lot of work to be done and strategy to be corrected. But to point out that, although the newer commercials may not (I haven't been paying too much attention to them) don't do a good job of it, the earlier commercials were pretty clear that you needed a new radio.

I forgot to mention web advertising. That will be an important part of the strategy as well.

Some have mentioned that the consumer will decide the fate of HD Radio. But if the consumer is uneducated about it and its benefits, whose fault is that? Frankly, I'm surprised that so few CE manufacturers have promoted HD-R in their campaigns. Don't they believe in this technology?

I also find it amusing when the HD-R apologists get into a snit over the comments made by those who oppose it, as if the fate of HD Radio will be decided here.

The fate of HD Radio, MasterTheseus, is, for the most part, in the hands of the HD-Radio Alliance, the radio industry and CE manufacturers like your company.

Make products people want to buy, promote the heck out of it and HD Radio will (possibly) succeed. (Not that I care, mind you).

db

 

[MasterTheseus]

I agree that there is a lot of work to be done and strategy to be corrected. But to point out that, although the newer commercials may not (I haven't been paying too much attention to them) don't do a good job of it, the earlier commercials were pretty clear that you needed a new radio.

No, they were not. I work for one of the HD Radio Consortium's member groups, and I have heard all the HD Radio commercials. The first ones gave no clue at all that new radios were needed.

Then I am sorry, I distinctly recall MANY advertisements that mentioned this. Some of the more creative and clever ones did not, but a good majority did. Now, whether those where the ones stations played is a different subject.