so no one knows huh??? :)

[smashedcd]

this is taken from www.allaccess.com news-- yesterday thursday june 8th 2006.....Study: Consumers Confused About HD RadioA study by research firm MARK KASSOF & CO. finds that only 1% of those between the ages of 18-64 are aware that HD Radio offers listeners more stations and programming choices. Furthermore, only 38% of respondents say they have heard of HD Radio, and within this group, 7% have only heard of it but don't know what it means, and 6% know it means "high-definition radio" but cannot explain what that term indicates. This leaves a 25% pool of people who are actually "familiar" with the technology, but of that group, 17% only know that the technology means better sound quality, with 6% having some misconceptions, most notably those who believe HD Radio is satellite radio (3%). kind of what i thought. as i have been saying the average person doesnt even know hd exists.

 

[SUPERCASTER]

You are right! Almost no one (in the general public) really knows much about HD Radio, and even fewer of the general public care, or are dissatisfied enough with their current radios to scrap them all and replace them by running out to buy expensive new ones.The public seems much more interested in other new digital technology.

 

[Chuck]

You are right! Almost no one (in the general public) really knows much about HD Radio, and even fewer of the general public care, or are dissatisfied enough with their current radios to scrap them all and replace them by running out to buy expensive new ones.The public seems much more interested in other new digital technology.

BINGO!

 

[davideduardo]

You are right! Almost no one (in the general public) really knows much about HD Radio, and even fewer of the general public care, or are dissatisfied enough with their current radios to scrap them all and replace them by running out to buy expensive new ones.The public seems much more interested in other new digital technology.

You sound like the folks wh said nobody woul replave vinyl with CDs. Or pay for cable. Or want to record TV shows on VHS.HD is in its very initial marketing stage. The public is not supposed to be fully aware, as the promotion barely started. Stage 1 was gtting stations on, now over 1000. Two was adding HD-2 content, and three was getting the design specs out. That happened 60 days ago. Finally, when recevers start getting on shelves, marketing to consumers begins.

 

[smashedcd]

well lets put it this way. AM stereo never caught on..betamax never caught on..record players in cars (except for elvis) never caught on...its not gonna happen. tv is diffrent there are choices..radio there are no choices. its the same lame crap in every single market...on multiple stations!!

 

[JasonW]

well lets put it this way. AM stereo never caught on..betamax never caught on..record players in cars (except for elvis) never caught on...its not gonna happen. tv is diffrent there are choices..radio there are no choices. its the same lame crap in every single market...on multiple stations!!

Also, AM IBOC is not helped by the new, higher FCC indecency fines and the new content rules in the works that would restrict content and language to what is acceptable for children.This morning on his national talk radio program, Doug Stephan discussed these new FCC rules and mentioned that "edgy" talk hosts such as Don & Mike are moving to satellite radio and abandoning terrestrial radio because of the restrictions. Phil Hendrie is quitting radio altogether because of this. Doug sadly predicted that AM and FM will wither away because they can't broadcast anything other than bland pablum. No matter what methods AM and FM use to broadcast, few people will listen if they can't hear what they want to hear. -- Jason

 

[1q2w3e]

well lets put it this way. AM stereo never caught on..betamax never caught on..record players in cars (except for elvis) never caught on...its not gonna happen. tv is diffrent there are choices..radio there are no choices. its the same lame crap in every single market...on multiple stations!!

Also, AM IBOC is not helped by the new, higher FCC indecency fines and the new content rules in the works that would restrict content and language to what is acceptable for children.This morning on his national talk radio program, Doug Stephan discussed these new FCC rules and mentioned that "edgy" talk hosts such as Don & Mike are moving to satellite radio and abandoning terrestrial radio because of the restrictions. Phil Hendrie is quitting radio altogether because of this. Doug sadly predicted that AM and FM will wither away because they can't broadcast anything other than bland pablum. No matter what methods AM and FM use to broadcast, few people will listen if they can't hear what they want to hear. -- Jason

I dont see how you can relate the fines to HD radio. A bit of a stretch, no? Also I am sure that most people dont want to hear swearing and sexual innuendos anyways. If that is what YOU want to hear then go for it.

 

[SmokeRing]

You sound like the folks wh said nobody woul replave vinyl with CDs. Or pay for cable. Or want to record TV shows on VHS.HD is in its very initial marketing stage. The public is not supposed to be fully aware, as the promotion barely started. Stage 1 was gtting stations on, now over 1000. Two was adding HD-2 content, and three was getting the design specs out. That happened 60 days ago. Finally, when recevers start getting on shelves, marketing to consumers begins.

Man, you are SO wrong about IBOC's critics, David. The people who have paid close enough attention to IBOC to observe its glaring weaknesses are exactly the people who absolutely LOVE tech advancements. The fact is that they are extremely disappointed with THIS one. In no way is IBOC comparable to CD vs. vinyl, or HDTV vs. rabbit ears. For the vast majority of consumers, it will be perceived as a MODEST advancement. The people who most benefit from it are inner city dwellers and workers who fight multipath and reception issues (NY City is the prime example). But the MAJORITY of the U.S. population won't find this new technology nearly as impressive as... HDTV, for instance.And, if you're right about the "marketing stages" of IBOC (and I'm fine with assuming you ARE), then it's just another example of the radio industry coming up with a BAD plan. I'd be embarrassed to claim ownership of it.But I'd be more embarrassed to be the CEO of a radio company right now. IBOC on the AM dial isn't anywhere near ready for prime time. Yet here it comes... And, if I'm a CEO, then I'm responsible for it. If anyone actually knew about it, then I'd compare it to the "New Coke" screw up. But, of course, no one knows about it, so I can't.

 

[JasonW]

1q2w3e wrote:<I dont see how you can relate the fines to HD radio. A bit of a stretch, no? Also I am sure that most people dont want to hear swearing and sexual innuendos anyways. If that is what YOU want to hear then go for it.>You're completely missing the point. While I enjoy G-rated movies, I also like more adult-oriented material, as do most adults. Restricting radio content only to what is suitable for children shrinks the listener base. The method of delivery (AM IBOC, which is the method under discussion here) won't make a whit of difference in listenership if stations can't broadcast what most people want to hear.And while we're on the subject of indecency, I heard astronauts swearing on live television (John Young on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission and Pete Conrad in Earth orbit during the Skylab 2 mission) when they were in stressful circumstances. I was 6 and 7 years old at the times of these incidents, but they didn't induce me into a life of frivolous swearing. Incidents such as these, which today would earn stations and networks huge FCC fines, were simply examples of real people reacting to real situations. I have more confidence in the stability and self-correcting nature of our society than the nanny state that wants to protect us from ourselves. -- Jason

 

[1q2w3e]

If you require someone to swear to entertain you, I truly feel sorry for you. I find it more entertaining to flirt with the subject. That requires some INTELLIGENCE, not just blurting out curses. That is just for the mindless. And BTW not every adult prefers to hear swearing. If swearing comes out in passion, that is far different than allowing swearing for the sake of allowing it.Adult enteratinment can be handled properly to get into the gutter.

 

[dbdigital]

You sound like the folks wh said nobody woul replave vinyl with CDs. Or pay for cable. Or want to record TV shows on VHS.HD is in its very initial marketing stage. The public is not supposed to be fully aware, as the promotion barely started. Stage 1 was gtting stations on, now over 1000. Two was adding HD-2 content, and three was getting the design specs out. That happened 60 days ago. Finally, when recevers start getting on shelves, marketing to consumers begins.

Man, you are SO wrong about IBOC's critics, David. The people who have paid close enough attention to IBOC to observe its glaring weaknesses are exactly the people who absolutely LOVE tech advancements. The fact is that they are extremely disappointed with THIS one. In no way is IBOC comparable to CD vs. vinyl, or HDTV vs. rabbit ears. For the vast majority of consumers, it will be perceived as a MODEST advancement. The people who most benefit from it are inner city dwellers and workers who fight multipath and reception issues (NY City is the prime example). But the MAJORITY of the U.S. population won't find this new technology nearly as impressive as... HDTV, for instance.And, if you're right about the "marketing stages" of IBOC (and I'm fine with assuming you ARE), then it's just another example of the radio industry coming up with a BAD plan. I'd be embarrassed to claim ownership of it.But I'd be more embarrassed to be the CEO of a radio company right now. IBOC on the AM dial isn't anywhere near ready for prime time. Yet here it comes... And, if I'm a CEO, then I'm responsible for it. If anyone actually knew about it, then I'd compare it to the "New Coke" screw up. But, of course, no one knows about it, so I can't.

Thank you! I don't think any of us are anti-digital or against technological advancement but neither are we worshipping at the "digital is sacred" church as a few here apparently do.For many of us it's a case not wanting an expensive, unnecessary, inferior technology mandated down our collective throats as is happening with HD radio and the FCC. We already know that many small market AM broadcasters cannot afford to convert to HD radio but 'thinning the heard' should not be an option since it will result in more media consolidation and less diversity. And while we're at it, why should FM broadcasters, particularly the media conglomorates, be given a free pass for using more than their allotted bandwidth so that they can air HD radio in hybrid mode with additional program streams?As for the matter of indecency and the FCC, I suppose the last bastion for totally free speech would be internet radio. But this raises, I think, an interesting point. Since all WiFi/WiMAX schemes use radio spectrum to do what it does, does this mean that the FCC will now start monitoring and fining internet radio broadcasters should some of them air indecent content? Does the FCC really want to go there?db

 

[JasonW]

If you require someone to swear to entertain you, I truly feel sorry for you. I find it more entertaining to flirt with the subject. That requires some INTELLIGENCE, not just blurting out curses. That is just for the mindless. And BTW not every adult prefers to hear swearing. If swearing comes out in passion, that is far different than allowing swearing for the sake of allowing it.Adult enteratinment can be handled properly to get into the gutter.

You're absolutely right--you have shown me the error of my ways. Rhett Butler should have said "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a hoot" in "Gone With the Wind" in 1939, and C. S. Lewis shouldn't have said "Don't talk damned nonsense" (in reference to anti-Christian ideas that he believed were damned under God's curse) on BBC radio in 1943, when he gave his broadcast talks that later became his book called "Mere Christianity." He should have said, "Don't talk darned nonsense."Getting back to reality...the movie "Saving Private Ryan" is a treasure precisely because its dialogue uses authentic language that is spoken by real soldiers, "F-bombs" and all. It was going to be shown uncut on network television (with plenty of warnings about the language for the faint of heart) until the executives chickened out in fear of the FCC. The Founding Fathers would be ashamed that the American people have allowed the government to lead the people by the nose regarding what we can and can't hear, for they believed that even offensive speech should not be squelched. If you don't like what is coming out of your radio or TV set, each receiver has two controls that allow you to do something about it--use them! -- Jason

 

[rbrucecarter5]

I haven't seen Saving Private Ryan. Frankly - I agree with other posters. I don't enjoy being cursed at. I don't enjoy jokes about bodily fluids and functions. I don't think people breeding is funny or appropriate entertainment. I don't enjoy hearing racism, drugs in music. And if I get satellite radio, it may well be XM because Sirius gave a voice to Howard Stern, who doesn't need to be on the air anywhere for any reason (commenting on the sexual characteristics of Columbine shooting victims - that had to be the low point in broadcasting - and people still listen to the pervert?)Thank goodness for radio networks like Radio Disney, where you can hear top-40 music without filth. Thank goodness for TV networks like Teen Nick, where you can watch 60's quality sitcoms like Zoey 101 and Unfabulous. Thank goodness for great young actresses like Hilary Duff, Jojo, Emma Roberts, and Sara Paxton that take strong stands for morality and against taking off clothes. If you want to allow somebody to come into your living room and pour raw sewage on your carpet - or allow so-called "adult" entertainment into your home, fine. I won't be visiting any time soon - to me adult entertainment is Shakespeare, Dickens, high opera and classical music, classic movies. Things most adults no longer have the IQ to appreciate. Teenagers in the high school curse, talk about sex, show disrespect for authority - and I would hardly call any of that "adult" content. A bunch of immaturity is more like it: "ooo she bent too low I can see her [****]" "_____ that teacher _____ my parents ___ the world I'm gonna curse if I want to" "hey, want some pills it will make you feel good" = CHILDISH! Concepts, ideas, humanitarism, beauty, nobility, nobleness = ADULT![EDIT*=unacceptable language]

 

[JasonW]

You have a queer (as in odd, not homosexual) notion of what adulthood means. Among other things, it means having the maturity to make choices and deal with their consequences. By contrast, the hallmark of childishness (which is the assumption that the nanny FCC makes about the public in dealing with our programming choices on radio and TV) is of restricting choices for those who are assumed to be unable to make mature choices. Yet this is precisely how the FCC acts toward adult radio listerners and TV viewers.I neither own a firearm nor want to, but I detest the notion that some citizens and many people in the government would like to eliminate my right to own one if I so choose. Likewise, I have no interest in listening to Howard Stern or Opie & Anthony or "Gangsta Rapp" on the radio, but unlike you and many other people, I do not want to tell others that they can't listen to such programming if they wish. -- Jason

 

[billybee]

Re: Technological advancesAM to FM was a no-brainer... more bandwidth (20 times as much), permitting much wider audio response, lower distortion, a line-of-sight signal capable of producing broad coverage at relatively low transmitter power consumption.Vinyl to CD was no stretch either... wider bandwidth, lower distortion, smaller disc, easy remote control for track selection.But FM to IBOC gives us... less bandwidth (we'll try to squeeze 3 channels where one once went, while preserving the original analog channel, which means that if we're listening to HD2 or HD3 and the digital goes away, our signal blends to...........nothing?What else does IBOC give us... okay, no picket-fencing (just blending from analog to digital and back)What else... oh yeah... digital artifacts...And for the broadcaster... if we ever manage to generate revenues on the HD2&3 channels, we get to share it with ASCAP, BMI, Sesac, RIAA, and IBIQUITY (yup, once we've spent all the bucks to develop the facility and finally get to the money shot, IBIQUITY wants their ROYALTIES)

 

[dbdigital]

In this case the NAB may have it right. Let the broadcasters monitor and censor themselves.As one Congressman suggested, "if you don't like something, change the channel or shut it off." And I can't imagine any broadcaster wanting a listener or viewer to change channels or shut off their receiver. So it is in their best interests to keep the content relatively clean.Besides, with no clear guidlines as to what is and what isn't indecent (beyond the obvious) I can see this issue becoming a legal circus. Are complaints from listeners/viewers the only indicator? Is some content indecent or merely in poor taste? Are local indecency laws applicable? What is indecent and what is art?With the signing of this bill, I think it's safe to say that lawyers have just discovered a new money tree.db

 

[JasonW]

In this case the NAB may have it right. Let the broadcasters monitor and censor themselves.As one Congressman suggested, "if you don't like something, change the channel or shut it off." And I can't imagine any broadcaster wanting a listener or viewer to change channels or shut off their receiver. So it is in their best interests to keep the content relatively clean.Besides, with no clear guidlines as to what is and what isn't indecent (beyond the obvious) I can see this issue becoming a legal circus. Are complaints from listeners/viewers the only indicator? Is some content indecent or merely in poor taste? Are local indecency laws applicable? What is indecent and what is art?With the signing of this bill, I think it's safe to say that lawyers have just discovered a new money tree.db

Exactly--people should be free to use any language they want on the air, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'd care to listen to it. Voting with our dials (and money spent or *not* spent on station advertisers) serves as a powerful economic and social pressure on broadcasters to please their audiences. There's no need for the FCC to get involved. -- Jason

 

[autopaint-1]

"Exactly--people should be free to use any language they want on the air, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'd care to listen to it. Voting with our dials (and money spent or *not* spent on station advertisers) serves as a powerful economic and social pressure on broadcasters to please their audiences. There's no need for the FCC to get involved. -- Jason'And what are your feelings towards police. What I mean is that do you believe that there should be no rules regarding decency? Do you believe that it is acceptable for a mature man to expose himself in front of unsuspecting people? I mean, no one is hurt and they can just turn away if they don't want to watch. While I agree that we live in a provincial society when it comes to the use of language and sexuality, there are many other more repressive societies in this world as well as those who are more open/mature in the way they deal with these subjects. That said we do have laws in this country and while you and I may or may not agree with them all, we have to observe them as members of the society in general. Why do we have limits on what movies we can bring our children to? After all we pay to get in so shouldn't the choice be ours? My wife and I have children who are in their late teens/early 20's now and they didn't grow up in an atmosphere riddled with four letter invectives. They know the words but they also know how to express themselves in a manor without using such a limited vocabulary. Most of us don't live in the cops and robbers world where such language might be considered commonplace. As you mature you’ll find out that the real whit comes from those who can be humorous without the use of obscenities for obscenities sake. While you might enjoy “locker room” humor, for most it just gets tiring and in short order we become desensitized to its true meaning and value.

 

[JasonW]

"Exactly--people should be free to use any language they want on the air, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'd care to listen to it. Voting with our dials (and money spent or *not* spent on station advertisers) serves as a powerful economic and social pressure on broadcasters to please their audiences. There's no need for the FCC to get involved. -- Jason'And what are your feelings towards police. What I mean is that do you believe that there should be no rules regarding decency? Do you believe that it is acceptable for a mature man to expose himself in front of unsuspecting people? I mean, no one is hurt and they can just turn away if they don't want to watch. While I agree that we live in a provincial society when it comes to the use of language and sexuality, there are many other more repressive societies in this world as well as those who are more open/mature in the way they deal with these subjects. That said we do have laws in this country and while you and I may or may not agree with them all, we have to observe them as members of the society in general. Why do we have limits on what movies we can bring our children to? After all we pay to get in so shouldn't the choice be ours? My wife and I have children who are in their late teens/early 20's now and they didn't grow up in an atmosphere riddled with four letter invectives. They know the words but they also know how to express themselves in a manor without using such a limited vocabulary. Most of us don't live in the cops and robbers world where such language might be considered commonplace. As you mature you’ll find out that the real whit comes from those who can be humorous without the use of obscenities for obscenities sake. While you might enjoy “locker room” humor, for most it just gets tiring and in short order we become desensitized to its true meaning and value.

Your "flasher" example is irrelevant, as one has no control over what such a person will do before they commit the act. After the act, one can conduct a citizen's arrest on the flasher, hail a police officer (if one is close by), or report the incident to the police later.A radio listener or television viewer has complete control over his or her radio or TV set, and newer TV sets even have V-chips for blocking undesired content. I have no problem with self-censorship at the receiving end--my objection is to government-enforced censorship at the point of origination. The movie rating system doesn't prohibit anyone from watching movies, but simply requires that minor children be accompanied by adults at screenings of certain films, which makes perfect sense. (This may be different for X-rated movies, but I don't know because I have no interest in watching such films.)I find the "If you're mature, you'll like X, and if you're not mature, you'll prefer Y" argument laughable. I like all well-executed comedic material, whether or not it contains vulgarities. My personal collection contains everything from Laurel & Hardy to Richard Pryor. Besides, the notion of what words are or are not vulgar is just a silly human convention that varies from culture to culture (unlike truly harmful things such as theft and murder, which are universally condemned). I've met older Danish people who thought nothing of using the "F-word" in church in casual conversation, but who found words such as "hell" and "damn" very offensive (which is the opposite of how these words are regarded in American culture). Which just goes to show that the old "Sticks and stones" saying is true in an even deeper sense. -- Jason

 

[autopaint-1]

"Your "flasher" example is irrelevant, as one has no control over what such a person will do before they commit the act. After the act, one can conduct a citizen's arrest on the flasher, hail a police officer (if one is close by), or report the incident to the police later."

But using your logic why should the act be illegal? After all you can just turn away from his free expression. Why bring the government into this? You can say there's no way to take the offense back once it's committed but the same is true if you're listening to the radio with your children in the car and all of a sudden some low life starts spewing obscenities.

"A radio listener or television viewer has complete control over his or her radio or TV set, and newer TV sets even have V-chips for blocking undesired content. I have no problem with self-censorship at the receiving end--my objection is to government-enforced censorship at the point of origination"

Oh is that true. Say you're sitting at the dinner table with the family again and some song you like comes on. The song ends and in your world of free expression the discussion turns to committing sexual acts with pets. It could happen in your world and you'd have no recourse but to change the station. Of course these are extreme examples but if there were no rules this could occur.

"The movie rating system doesn't prohibit anyone from watching movies, but simply requires that minor children be accompanied by adults at screenings of certain films, which makes perfect sense. (This may be different for X-rated movies, but I don't know because I have no interest in watching such films.)"

But if these rules were not in place what's to stop a 10 year old from attending an adult oriented movie? Again, this is why we have rules in place and children are not allowed to attend X rated films. (It's nice to have a broader view of the world to be knowledgeable on a variety of subjects whether you are interested in them or otherwise).



"I find the "If you're mature, you'll like X, and if you're not mature, you'll prefer Y" argument laughable. I like all well-executed comedic material, whether or not it contains vulgarities. "


Do you have children? Sadly we as adults have to put a limit to our "entertainment" when the audience for said entertainment can not be assured. That doesn't mean we have to grow up in a Ned Flanders environment but I wouldn't want my children hearing about sexual acts even for a minute while I attempt to change the station. You like that form of entertainment, buy a tape (or rent one) of the type of material you enjoy and listen to it in privacy, but don't make it the responsibility of the innocent listener to avoid the verbal attacks like those you'd have us exposed to.


“I like all well-executed comedic material, whether or not it contains vulgarities. My personal collection contains everything from Laurel & Hardy to Richard Pryor. Besides, the notion of what words are or are not vulgar is just a silly human convention that varies from culture to culture (unlike truly harmful things such as theft and murder, which are universally condemned). I've met older Danish people who thought nothing of using the "F-word" in church in casual conversation, but who found words such as "hell" and "damn" very offensive (which is the opposite of how these words are regarded in American culture). Which just goes to show that the old "Sticks and stones" saying is true in an even deeper sense"

What you find entertaining and funny I might feel is in poor taste and visa versa. Under the circumstances because these are public air waves we must limit content in an attempt to not offend the majority of the audience. That's what the local standards rule is about. I'm not condoning those hillier than thou [EDIT] who do nothing but sit home and look for opportunities to file complaints but that doesn't mean I want the airwaves to be like the wild west where anything and everything goes.

[EDIT-swearing]