'Radio stations upgrade to HD despite cost, uncertainty"

[PocketRadio]

"Radio stations upgrade to HD despite cost, uncertainty"

"It's absolutely up in the air," he said. "I'm sure the industry folks will tell you, 'Oh, it's going to be great,' but we really don't know that yet... Clear Channel, which owns almost 1,200 radio stations, made no mention of HD offerings in its most recent annual report to investors filed in early March... Some analysts contend that radio fans will leapfrog from a traditional signal to a wireless Internet signal, skipping HD radio — and its hefty sticker price — entirely."

http://tinyurl.com/357ttp

Interesting, that Clear Channel isn't shilling HD Radio to its investors. Oh - did some here say that HD Radio is a done-deal ?

 

[4dude]

Thats what i dont understand,why are all these stations WILLINGLY going to this crap?? (Probably cause they dont know the first thing about it (THEY DONT KNOW HOW COMPROMISING IT IS))

 

[R.F. Burns]

Thats what i dont understand,why are all these stations WILLINGLY going to this crap?? (Probably cause they dont know the first thing about it (THEY DONT KNOW HOW COMPROMISING IT IS))

Broadcast professionals are willing to spend the money to convert to digital because THEY DON"T KNOW? (But you do). Maybe you should start a letter writing campaign.

 

[Play Freebird]

Interesting, that Clear Channel isn't shilling HD Radio to its investors. Oh - did some here say that HD Radio is a done-deal ?

Forbes' website ran a brief interview with Clear Channel Radio CEO John Hogan yesterday. HD wasn't mentioned at all; instead he discussed programming, the Google advertising deal, and the Arbitron PPM.

http://www.forbes.com/home/media/2007/05/24/radio-advertising-hogan-biz-media-cx_lh_0525radio.html

 

[PocketRadio]

Thats what i dont understand,why are all these stations WILLINGLY going to this crap?? (Probably cause they dont know the first thing about it (THEY DONT KNOW HOW COMPROMISING IT IS))

Broadcast professionals are willing to spend the money to convert to digital because THEY DON"T KNOW? (But you do). Maybe you should start a letter writing campaign.

It would seem that way... The Dude could join me in my email campaign against HD Radio, as I usually comment on every HD Radio story and blog.

 

[fritobandito]

Yeah, and many stations upgraded and added FM to their existing AM service long before it became viable.

We all know how badly that investment turned out for them. Let's pray it happens again!

 

[Mike Walker]

Almost no technology investment pays for itself right away. But all of the good ones do eventually.

Think tv stations have recovered their investment in HDTV? THINK AGAIN!

Anyone who can't see that ALL media in the future (audio, video, text, photographs, etc.) will be delivered as packets of data must've been dropped on thier head(s) as a child.

 

[scanman1]

Thats what i dont understand,why are all these stations WILLINGLY going to this crap?? (Probably cause they dont know the first thing about it (THEY DONT KNOW HOW COMPROMISING IT IS))

They convert because Digital Audio sounds better! The little extra noise on AM analog is a good compromise for the increased fidelity in digital. And HD doesn't, IMO, affect FM analog audio quality at all. 8)

 

[SUPERCASTER]

Thats what i dont understand,why are all these stations WILLINGLY going to this crap?? (Probably cause they dont know the first thing about it (THEY DONT KNOW HOW COMPROMISING IT IS))

They convert because Digital Audio sounds better! The little extra noise on AM analog is a good compromise for the increased fidelity in digital. And HD doesn't, IMO, affect FM analog audio quality at all. 8)

Not true. Adding digital HD compromises the signal to noise ratio of the stereo FM signal.

Citadel Broadcasting estimates up to 16 percent of U.S. residents listen to radio online every week.

American Media Services, a Mount Pleasant-based company that consults for big radio companies on building more profitable stations, said every broadcaster in the country should be sending a signal to the World Wide Web, if they aren't already.

"But I see an equal, if not greater, opportunity for stations to stream. ... If you go on your computer right now, you've got thousands and thousands and thousands of channels."

http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/may/28/radio_stations_upgrade_hd_despite_cost_uncertain/

"Done deal" perhaps with the politically influenced FCC, but not with listeners.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

The little extra noise on AM analog is a good compromise for the increased fidelity in digital.

Sure. Never mind the 800-million+ analog radios out there. They don't count. Let them be plagued with noise from the digital carriers so that half a million HD radios can work.

And as for "LITTLE extra noise," you've obviously never heard full-blown AM-HD interference before. It's not a "little extra noise."

 

[R.F. Burns]

The little extra noise on AM analog is a good compromise for the increased fidelity in digital.

Sure. Never mind the 800-million+ analog radios out there. They don't count. Let them be plagued with noise from the digital carriers so that half a million HD radios can work.

And as for "LITTLE extra noise," you've obviously never heard full-blown AM-HD interference before. It's not a "little extra noise."

What became of the analog turntable? There surely were more turntables than radios and yet, somehow we survived as a nation and as a world. Go out and find vinyl today. Can you purchase the top 40 on 45 RPM any longer? How about all of those 78's. By 1959 (1960 for a very few) 78's disappeared and their were millions still in existence. Such is life. The conversion to compatible HD doesn't make analog radios obsolete, as say the CD made the LP.

 

[PocketRadio]

"Radio stations upgrade to HD despite cost, uncertainty"

"It's absolutely up in the air," he said. "I'm sure the industry folks will tell you, 'Oh, it's going to be great,' but we really don't know that yet... Clear Channel, which owns almost 1,200 radio stations, made no mention of HD offerings in its most recent annual report to investors filed in early March... Some analysts contend that radio fans will leapfrog from a traditional signal to a wireless Internet signal, skipping HD radio — and its hefty sticker price — entirely."

http://tinyurl.com/357ttp

Interesting, that Clear Channel isn't shilling HD Radio to its investors. Oh - did some here say that HD Radio is a done-deal ?

"Clear Channel Changing Its Tune" January 2005

"Clear Channel is betting that HD radio will give consumers what they're looking for. If listeners decide it's worth the money to buy the HD equipment to get feature-rich services such as downloading or recording, then traditional radio can keep its consumers tuned in. For investors in Clear Channel, that would be music to their ears."

http://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2005/01/24/clear-channel-changing-its-tune.aspx

Looks like Clear Channel has put themselves in a precarious situation, with its investors, not mentioning HD Radio in its March 2007 annual report - seems CC would have to account for all HD Radio expenditures and any profits made from HD Radio. Since, when can HD Radio download and record music (and stock and traffic reports) ?

 

[clouseau]

Looks like Clear Channel has put themselves in a precarious situation, with its investors, not mentioning HD Radio in its March 2007 annual report - seems CC would have to account for all HD Radio expenditures and any profits made from HD Radio. Since, when can HD Radio download and record music (and stock and traffic reports) ?

For someone who spends as much time reading on the internet about radio, it's amazing how much you don't seem to have a clue about. Do you actually READ anything while you expend time posting links?

BTW HD radio does NOT "Download and record" music, stock and traffic reports.

Clouseau

"And now another great irrelevant link... Coming up next on Radio-Info.com"

 

[SUPERCASTER]

The little extra noise on AM analog is a good compromise for the increased fidelity in digital.

Sure. Never mind the 800-million+ analog radios out there. They don't count. Let them be plagued with noise from the digital carriers so that half a million HD radios can work.

And as for "LITTLE extra noise," you've obviously never heard full-blown AM-HD interference before. It's not a "little extra noise."

What became of the analog turntable? There surely were more turntables than radios and yet, somehow we survived as a nation and as a world. Go out and find vinyl today. Can you purchase the top 40 on 45 RPM any longer? How about all of those 78's. By 1959 (1960 for a very few) 78's disappeared and their were millions still in existence. Such is life. The conversion to compatible HD doesn't make analog radios obsolete, as say the CD made the LP.

My turntable and records and even CDs don't interfere at all with my analog radio reception as HD Radio does, and therefore HD Radio is NOT fully "compatible" with analog radio.

 

[SUPERCASTER]

cleauseau said:

BTW HD radio does NOT "Download and record" music, stock and traffic reports.

No kidding?
But downloading and recording from HD radio was one of the possible uses promoted by early HD radio supporters and promoters.

 

[R.F. Burns]

The little extra noise on AM analog is a good compromise for the increased fidelity in digital.

Sure. Never mind the 800-million+ analog radios out there. They don't count. Let them be plagued with noise from the digital carriers so that half a million HD radios can work.

And as for "LITTLE extra noise," you've obviously never heard full-blown AM-HD interference before. It's not a "little extra noise."

What became of the analog turntable? There surely were more turntables than radios and yet, somehow we survived as a nation and as a world. Go out and find vinyl today. Can you purchase the top 40 on 45 RPM any longer? How about all of those 78's. By 1959 (1960 for a very few) 78's disappeared and their were millions still in existence. Such is life. The conversion to compatible HD doesn't make analog radios obsolete, as say the CD made the LP.

My turntable and records and even CDs don't interfere at all with my analog radio reception as HD Radio does, and therefore HD Radio is NOT fully "compatible" with analog radio.

HD radio causes no interference to my analog reception. Perhaps a new radio should be counted on in your future. Maybe those 20 dollar radios are really cheap garbage and it's the weak radios which have the problems and not the method of transmission. The FCC has always ruled that as long as the stations transmitters are within spec, any interference received by poorly designed receivers or telephone devices is the responsablility of the owner of these faulty devices. That's the law and it applies to not only broadcast facilities but to the amateur service as well.