"D Peter Maus" wrote in message
...


David, David, David....the chairman of iBiquity said the words. The
system will facilitate a smooth transition to an all-digital system. That
he envisioned less than a decade to phasing out analog entirely.



It doesn't get any clearer than that. The goal is to move to
digital, without analog.

iBiquity is selling HD. Broadcasters sell ads. Ad sales requires listeners.
A transition like that to HDTV, mandated and with a fixed cut off, would not
please broadcasters and I doubt they would do it. I think the possibility of
an all digital AM band are 10 to 12 years out. If ever... if the band
survives.


Yes, I believe I made that point last year. But the key here is
FM Stereo is backward compatible, costs next to nothing to implement,
produces no savings to turn off, and most listeners, or broadcasters for
that matter, don't notice the difference when it's not there. The pilot is
more important to most listeners than the separation.

But Digital/Analog is a different animal. And iBiquity, and General
Manglers all over the industry are looking at the day when digital will
supplant analog broadcasting. Because, analog requires 10 times the power,
maintaining two audio streams, with separate processing chains, is also
expensive.

For the markets where HD is installed, the small cost is not particularly
signficant. Once you have the hardware, there is very little extra cost on a
monthly basis. And power savings, today, are not that big a deal until you
get to very small markets.

We're not talking FM stereo, here. We're talking two separate and
distinct radio stations on the same dial position. GM's don't like that.
And iBiquity has facilitated the demise of one in favor of the other, and
sold the system for that purpose.

I don't see that many GMs that really look at it that way. They look at it
more like and SCA, not a separate station.

We recently had iBiquity "leadership" at a meeting of all GMs and PDs and
GSMs... and replacing analog was not metioned ever, even by the President of
iBiquity. I wonder why they are hiding this form us?

I go to the NABs, RABs and programming conferences. I don't hear
elimination of analog and replacement with digital discussed at all.


I don't know what to tell you, David. I've heard it as far back as
a decade, now, and as recently as yesterday.

I notice that the main objections in radio to HD come from engineers... not
because of the technology, but because of the change. The things they write
indicate a lack of knowledge of the business. Maybe you are hearing from
that quarter.

I've also heard it discussed on WGN overnights. Not that there
were any advertisers supporting it, but it WAS being discussed.

Ah, WGN. The king of the 65 and over listener. What were the comments?

If look at the average age of operating cars in the US, you realize that
that is unduly optimistic, even if there is a covert transition being
planned.

How do you figure? You can retrofit any vehicle with anything
today. Hell, I've retrofitted my factory radios with iPod integration, now
on two Caravans and a GMC Envoy, even though the Envoy was not capable of
being retrofitted with iPod integration when I bought it. Now, Peripheral
is making a drop in device that does it, not only for GM, but for damned
near anything on the road. iPod, AND an Aux input for either my Delphi XM
piece, OR....are you sitting down....an HD radio tuner.

Most people buying used cars do so to save... they do not rush out for new
radios. I still think it will take a dozen years to get anywhere near the
penetration of HD, and it will be driven by FM. AM may already be dead in 10
years when all the listeners are over 55.


****, David....if you don't think guys like Karmazin, who openly
spoke of the value of digital terrestrial radio for it's SUBSCRIPTION
potential before the Senate last week, don't know about these devices, you
need to seriously get out of the office. Come to Chicago, I'll buy you a
rib dinner and show you how readily available this stuff is on any corner
from Howard Street to 57th.

I have heard less about subscription models than going all digital. No
broadcaster has enough HD2 channels to be able to support the
infrastructure, and satellite offers so much more for very little money. I
see no future in subscription radio on FM.

And guys like Karmazin not only know of this kind of opportunity,
but have already made plans to exploit it.

KArmazin is not in terrestrial radio anymore.