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D Peter Maus · September 11th 07, 11:31 PM posted to rec.radio.shortwave

wrote:
On Sep 11, 5:07 am, Steve wrote:

DXers may be one thin slice of the population, but the option to DX is
one that many people value, whether they (currently) DX very often or
not.

Again, what we value as a small group just doesn't matter to the
masses.

The naivete of this statement This decision wasn't made by the
masses. It was made by broadcasters. Broadcasters seeking to control
content local market citizens have access to--one of two Holy Grails of
broadcasting since the invention of the medium. (The other is
subscription radio--watch your etherspace for this development.)

If this decision was actually made by the masses, it may be a
different story. And it may be less caustic going down. But it wasn't.
Make no mistake, this decision was made by broadcasters, seeking to
limit choices.

What you fail to realize, here, too, is that there is another
interference problem with HD....when a station out of your market
interferes with your LOCAL station. That's not a DX situation...and it's
happening now, today, this minute. I'm experiencing it personally. And
it's been reported in the trades from DC to LA. It's been in editorial
columns in local papers.

It's a real issue.

And imagine the results at night.

Then there is the issue of shortfalls in the HD pattern in the local
market. Reports of 60% coverage and less have been coming in for a
while, now. Leaving non HD reception areas subject to the same noise,
interference, and unpleasant artifacts, as well as poorer audio.

The facts, as they are coming in, appear that HD, especially on AM,
is not living up to the promise, and will be the final nail in the
coffin of MW broadcasting. Allowing the spectrum to finally be closed,
auctioned off, and content moved to FM where it has a chance of
commercial viability.

But this is not about what the masses want. Of even care about. If
it were, there would be no end of commercially available HD receivers
and they would be flying off shelves by the tens of millions.

The masses simply do not care. And as the months drag on, they
appear to care even less.

One thing I've been saying since the HD radio noise began, is that
for HD to take off with the public, there would have to be an FCC
mandate that HD be included in all receivers, or that a cutoff date be
made for analog radio. The same way as television.

September 14th, there will be something equally as effective, as AM
HD begins to reach into the hours of greatest propagation. The only way
to filter out the crap that's skipping into the local market, will be
through a digital receiver. We should know within 30 days, if the
increased trash on the bands will have a measureable effect on the
public's listening, HD adoption, or both.

But the only ones who appear to care about HD radio, at least as of
today, are the broadcasters, and the purveyors/licensees of the hardware
and firmware that make HD (more or less) happen.

Big (Corporate) Brother making decisions for the mass.

And look at all those defending his actions.

Orwell has to be laughing his dry, wrinkly ass off.