The Ibiquity AM hybrid digital radio scheme provides little consumer
benefits. In fact, it destroys the character, versatility, variety
and utility that has been associated with AM Broadcasting since its
inception 100 years ago


Wrong.

It increases the fidelity dramatically for AM broadcasts....

Comparing what passes for a consumer-level analog AM radio to an HD
radio, yeah. But even the hot new Sony dumbs down analog in
comparison.

Better fidelity is a plus. And listeners complain about (what they
perceive
as) fidelity issues.

HD makes it better.

No, any better tuner/receiver makes it better.

No, HD offers better fidelity capability than analog. (The radio is a
seperate story.)

and brings back AM stereo in a standardize format.

That's nice, but not many people care..

Now that cell phones have stereo speakers.....and internet streams are in
stereo....the public expects nothing less.

How much of the public at this moment cares or even knows that HD AM
offers stereo (from those stations that broadcast it)?

I dont think they care about stereo, by name...but they care that it's a
lesser quality than FM...and the stero helps it sound better.

How many that
do broadcast stereo actually need it to 'improve' the sound (for talk
radio? religious programming?)?

It can make AM talk and news sound like NPR on FM.

Thats an improvement.

Why is NPR on FM stations mostly? ANd why are most NPR talk stations
broadcasting in stereo?

(because people expect it....)

Well, they can upgrade their analog tuner/receiver...

Sure, but they will not recieve any of the added "stations between the
stations" that HD radio provides on FM if they simply upgrade their AM
radio
to a better analog one.

A few NPR stations offer somewhat unique content on side channels, but
most I've heard are just jukeboxes at present.

Maybe, but people like jukeboxes, if the jukeboxes are playing songs they
like.

XM/Sirius has channels that are virtually jukeboxes.

Again, if it's a jukebox that's playing a format you love....then it's OK.

It may not matter to the majority of people, but the
sound really isn't 'better' on HD.

Of course it is....and it also contains much less processing that AM
stations feel they need to do to modulate their analog signals.

Are you talking to station engineers? HD AM does not sound better than
decent analog equipment in my experience.

"In your experience" is the key word....In my experience, in demonstration,
listener tests, and technical parameters, it sounds better.