Dave Barnett wrote:

There's 2 completely different cost models there for the broadcaster. An
SCA generator can be had for less than $1500. That can be recuperated
in one month in a large market. But it doesn't matter. Even then, until
there's something compelling to listen to it won't happen. I think
about radioparadise and fatmusicradio on the web and how fine their
presentation and music mixes are, yet every time I try an HD-2 channel
for a while it's just boring. Maybe some broadcaster ought to try to
hook up with some of the better webcasters. The programming is already
there, and I wouldn't think they'd charge too much to put it on the radio.

That would be a good model. The broadcasters need to understand that the
incremental cost of adding HD is quite small, they can't expect that HD
is going to provide revenue in proportion to the number of listeners, at
least not yet. We're four years away from HD becoming a standard feature
on all new car radios, and even then it'll be years before most cars on
the road have HD receivers.

Add an HD signal generator and an exciter that combines HD Radio and
analog FM and then concentrate on the more difficult task of actual
content, but as you stated hooking up with webcasters would be good
model. John says it would cost "six figures" to add HD, and I wonder
where that number came from. Is there some big up-front payment you have
to make to iBiquity, because the equipment certainly doesn't cost
anything close to $100K?

You have the potential to add listeners with different formats on HD (or
not lose listeners when you change format by moving the old format to
HD). I.e. I'd love an oldies station, but the Bay Area market can't
support a regular FM oldies station the way other markets can, so if you
want that content you have to subscribe to satellite radio at rather
ridiculous prices.

Time for the broadcasters to realize that HD is here, and that fighting
it is rather hopeless. Closing your eyes and pretending it doesn't
exist, and hoping for a better digital radio standard to emerge is not
productive.

Now when will the SAP actually have some content on my TV?