CBS/Infinity and IBOC-AM?
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oups.com...
May I chime in from the broadcasters perspective? Most of what's been
written is very accurate. The IBOC technology as implemented in the
USA was developed by Ibiquity, Inc and is licensed under the name 'HD
Radio'. Hence, if you're interested in purchasing a receiver to decode
this technology, do a search for 'HD Radio'. To date, there are very
few receivers available, largely due to standards resolution, and the
long lead-time required by Detroit to implement new technologies into
US made automobiles.
My sense is that radio Broadcasters, feeling the heat of competition
from XM / Sirius / Ipods / Internet streams + WiFi, as well as the
Eureka 147 digital radio roll-out in Europe (whereby all radio services
emanate from a single point-source, and all have the same technical
capabilities) felt the need to "do something digital". It had to be on
the traditional AM/FM band because Broadcasters have paid a ton of
money for each of their properties; to simply abandon the AM/FM scheme
in order to implement 'digital' would have been financially devastating
to station owners.
As has been discussed, HD Radio is not currently authorized on AM
stations at night, ("night is *not* defined as 6 AM to 6 PM, but rather
varies with a station's geographic location and the time of year)
though a serious lobbying effort is on to change this. Hence, at this
point it does not seriously impact DX opportunities, since most
long-range reception is a nighttime phenomenon (when the IBOC signals
are off).
Here in Los Angeles, we've implemented HD Radio on AM 1110, Radio
Disney - a children's formatted music station. I would describe the
aural result as "startling" - 14 kHz stereo, very low noise, no
obviously noticable artifacts, no multi-path in an automotive
environment - in short, it's *very* hard to believe you're hearing an
AM station.
Compare this to a *typical* AM receiver (not necessarily a Drake R8B or
Eton E1/XM) with a mono 3.5 kHz response and loud buzzes evey time you
drive under a power line, and you can see the attractivness to the
Broadcasting community. "Here, finally is a way to compete with new
technologies" [programming issues aside!].
On the FM side, the aural improvement is much less noticeable. Since
no pre-emphasis is required in the IBOC signal path, the high-end
sounds more 'natural' and 'airy', but these are very subjective terms.
What is new is the ability to "split" the IBOC bandwidth, such that
station W*** - FM can now have 2 or 3 full fidelity "sister" or
"associated" stations. This will provide FM broadcasters with the
opportunity to explore new (and hopefully more creative) programming
opportunities.
Here in LA, about a half-dozen FM broadcasters have already implemented
this "multiple channel" broadcasting, and most of these new channels
are (for the time being) commercial free.
Too, there is a lot of talk about implementing 'surround' sound on IBOC
FM, which also might prove to be a 'startling' addition to our radio
experiences.
Again, my sense is that broadcasters are thinking that the analog
technology that served us well in the 20th Century has run its course,
and that to remain a viable medium a transition to digital *must* take
place. The trouble is that there are (probably) a half-billion analog
receivers in the USA alone capable of receiving analog AM / FM, and
these can't be abandoned overnight. The Station's around the country
are now in the first phase of implementing digital radio, in the form
of IBOC / HD Radio. And my bet is that it's *not* going to go away.
Mike Worrall
ABC Radio
Los Angeles
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