Now why would you think I wouldn't know about that??
My point precisely is that making satellite radio strictly a proprietary technology for one company (or what were two) is likely to limit its potential growth. I hear how some think there's not much more growth anticipated for SM/Sirius subscribers. Don't think you can blame that all on the technology itself, when there's only one company in charge.
If satellite-delivered radio were treated like when FM eventually rolled out, for example, it might just be the approach that will help to sustain Sirius-XM by, strangely enough to some short sighted types, adding room for competitors to use that spectrum, too. And to tempt more of the public to use the technology when there's more than one way to tap into it.
For instance, I'd like to hear some good nationally distruguted classical programming, and find the two channels Sirius XM offers to be OK, but not enough. Might get me to buy a satellite radio receiver, and then Sirius-XM and everybody else can advertise to get me to subscribe to their services, too - since I'd already have the technology to get it. I'd just need to have the scrambled signals descrambled by my subscription.
Expanding use of the Satellite radio spectrum could provide a new model, particularly for the larger corporate broadcasters. More efficient, single studio. Or change the rules and allow local drop ins for ads, PSAs, and local info inserts.
I'm not suggesting it completely replaces FM and AM, or local radio. Nor should it ever. Instead, it gets away from the "randomness" of the current system that doesn't seem to be serving the interests of many -- listeners or the industry. Those formats and stations that benefit most from going "satellite" can go there. Others broadcast on FM or AM. There will probably be some terrestrial openings when broadcasters take a format "satellite only." (Regulation would prohibit an operator from monopolizing both.) Then, for example, those national religious chains that found a backdoor excuse to create national networks of Class D FMs get a place to be national, and the FM spectrum gets a little less crowded, as well as others getting a crack at some of those frequencies. And the formats that just get repeated verbatim in multiple markets get a more efficient way of distribution.
But it takes regulation, my boys, to pull it off, and to try to provide something for everyone's benefit. It would probably also mean restoring tighter limits on local FM and AM licenses per corporate licensee, since they'd have a shot at satellite.
The FM dial is getting hard to listen to, especially in hilly areas, suburbs, and populated areas where new signals are jumping all over each other and cutting off significant "fringe" coverage. Kind of a waste of 50 or 100kw transmitters to not get out much further than a class A before the interference happens. (I know that's not usually the case in Seattle, but it is how it's getting where markets are closer to each other, especially on the East Coast and Midwest.)
I'm suggesting looking at a way to include satellite radio as part of the broadcast mix to help the radio industry find more efficient ways to use the spectrum and not just jam up the dials till everybody only gets a 30 miles radius anymore, which seems to be what the end result of "HD" radio would be.
Can you corporate cats see a way "going satellite" would pay off for you? Enough to accept some limits on how many local frequencies you could control in return?
