Clear Channel ‘tests’ found no problem with ‘HD’ power hike

[Savage]

Well!!  I guess that settles THAT.

Howard, I would venture to guess that the operators of radio-info.com might take exception to your last post.  (Just a hunch.)

Just had a chat this afternoon with the Director of Engineering for "a major eastern seaboard" Public Radio statewide group.  Suffice it to say - the much-maligned anti-HD posters here have lots of company. 

There is a viral nature to posts on industry blogsites.  They often shape the impressions of decision-makers, who in the case of broadcast radio, may make decisions for scores or even hundreds of stations.  Nobody can say whether the posts here pointing out the parade of HD faults may have tipped them in a negative direction.

Also: the truth has a way of coming out.  HD pushers who have forgotten this law, are reminded of it daily, and it they're susceptible to it they already know that - for example - 6 dB is a non-starter for HD's future.

We all believe what we believe, and that's it.  (Except for those who are interested in reality.)

[BRNout]

Well!!  I guess that settles THAT.

Howard, I would venture to guess that the operators of radio-info.com might take exception to your last post.  (Just a hunch.)

Just had a chat this afternoon with the Director of Engineering for "a major eastern seaboard" Public Radio statewide group.  Suffice it to say - the much-maligned anti-HD posters here have lots of company. 

There is a viral nature to posts on industry blogsites.  They often shape the impressions of decision-makers, who in the case of broadcast radio, may make decisions for scores or even hundreds of stations.  Nobody can say whether the posts here pointing out the parade of HD faults may have tipped them in a negative direction.

Also: the truth has a way of coming out.  HD pushers who have forgotten this law, are reminded of it daily, and it they're susceptible to it they already know that - for example - 6 dB is a non-starter for HD's future.

We all believe what we believe, and that's it.  (Except for those who are interested in reality.)

Another excellent post by Mr. Savage.

What I'd like to add with regard to HD radio is this (to coin an overused phrase): it is what it is.   No matter what Howard and other proponents would like it to be, IBOC has technical limitations that can't be overcome by wishing and spinning the truth.  It offers a very pale option to the average consumer when compared with the offerings of iPods, MP3 units, wireless devices and, yes, internet radio.  The upside to the IBOC technology is about 8 years out of date.  The downside involving interference to analog, poor economics, and overly compressed audio is without an expiry date.  That cannot be wished away, nor can the laws of physics.

The proponents may mock us as much as they want but, like it or not, we're right.

[hdsucks]

hd radio is representative of what is wrong with the united states today. tons of special interests ramming some expensive piece of crap down our throats, to serve their own financial benefit, while at the same time harming the masses.

we take a decent radio system that has served us for close to 100 years and thrash it.  unreal.

why don't they start over and design a non IBOC solution, with a high data rate, and a great codec that can be remotely updated.  and use at least two transmitter sites. 

[Cal Stymes]

hdsucks offered this insight:

why don't they start over and design a non IBOC solution, with a high data rate, and a great codec that can be remotely updated.  and use at least two transmitter sites.

C'mon.  Bobby Struble isn't going to go for that, or any other changes for that matter!  He is running out of time to take the company public.  It is too late to start messing with the goods and still expect that the capitalist speculators who have been pouring money down iBiquity's throat will get a return on their investments.

If things continue on their present course, this company WILL be offering an IPO behind the curtain of having had complete success with IBOC.  I have been saying this for at least four years now on this here message board, but now the effort has been ramped up.  Bobby keeps reporting how well they're doing in the trades regardless of what we all know is really happening.  If you keep chanting the mantra, eventually the public will believe it.

Remember to follow the money.  It is the only thing that is important!

[BRNout]

hdsucks offered this insight:

why don't they start over and design a non IBOC solution, with a high data rate, and a great codec that can be remotely updated.  and use at least two transmitter sites.

C'mon.  Bobby Struble isn't going to go for that, or any other changes for that matter!  He is running out of time to take the company public.  It is too late to start messing with the goods and still expect that the capitalist speculators who have been pouring money down iBiquity's throat will get a return on their investments.

If things continue on their present course, this company WILL be offering an IPO behind the curtain of having had complete success with IBOC.  I have been saying this for at least four years now on this here message board, but now the effort has been ramped up.  Bobby keeps reporting how well they're doing in the trades regardless of what we all know is really happening.  If you keep chanting the mantra, eventually the public will believe it.

Remember to follow the money.  It is the only thing that is important!

Struble is clearly taking financial advice from Bernie Madoff!  What a scam.....

[JimmyJames]

You're all still ignoring rural and smaller areas where internet radio over cell phones is not profitable to the companies that have to invest in the cell towers. Even if you spent millions to put it there, I doubt many people would suddenly buy expensive phones and start streaming media with no local content. I've worked a lot of small markets and the internet is not a viable sole business model. It's a part of the mix, but internet only in small markets is STILL not a viable proposition. For numerous reasons.

[BRNout]

You're all still ignoring rural and smaller areas where internet radio over cell phones is not profitable to the companies that have to invest in the cell towers. Even if you spent millions to put it there, I doubt many people would suddenly buy expensive phones and start streaming media with no local content. I've worked a lot of small markets and the internet is not a viable sole business model. It's a part of the mix, but internet only in small markets is STILL not a viable proposition. For numerous reasons.

And you're ignoring all the posts that have discussed how expensive the IBOC technology is to install and run and how rural and small market stations can't afford such an investment.  Many of these areas already have 3G service via at least 1 cell provider and it's not much of a leap to provide internet radio via that platform.  THAT is the future, not this scam known as HD radio. 

[Play Freebird]

You're all still ignoring rural and smaller areas where internet radio over cell phones is not profitable to the companies that have to invest in the cell towers. Even if you spent millions to put it there, I doubt many people would suddenly buy expensive phones and start streaming media with no local content. I've worked a lot of small markets and the internet is not a viable sole business model. It's a part of the mix, but internet only in small markets is STILL not a viable proposition. For numerous reasons.

What's working very well for our small market daytime AM station is a group of three FM translators.  We're now able to operate 24 hours/day and our listeners already own the necessary receivers.    The translator sites are located in such a way as to overcome terrain obstacles, so the total rural service area exceeds that of a typical Class A facility in our hilly terrain.  And we were able to purchase the translator licenses for far less than a $25,000 iBiquity broadcaster license.   

I think you'll agree that in our situation, HD Radio would have been a complete waste of money -- there's just no return on investment.   That seems to be the case in large markets as well.

[hdsucks]

BRNout is right, streaming is the future... better codecs...

[buzzdemming]

BRNout is right, streaming is the future... better codecs...

I hope not.  compressed crap either way.