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News From Audio Graphics:
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A Significant Sign in the Death of HD Radio |
When my father was on his death bed my sister, who is a practicing nurse, told me he didn't have long. She knew because of being able to read the signs his body gave off before the lungs reached their last breath. Dad died sixteen hours later.
The analogy to my father dying and that of HD Radio's demise is not that different. Look for the signs indicating the body is giving out, then start counting the time until you call it a grievous day. Those with the schooling know the signs. Whether they relay them to those who don't know is what's keeping HD Radio alive, so far.
The radio industry is giving off signs that HD Radio is dead, even though we keep hearing bright comments being uttered by iBiquity execs. A recent quote from HD Radio Alliance President/CEO Peter Ferrara "predicts by 2011 (model year 2012) HD Radio will be optional in every car and standard in most." (Radio World "Let the 'Monetizing' of HD2s Begin" by Leslie Stimson). Mr. Ferrara is either being overly optimistic, or does not understand the business side of getting inside a vehicle's dashboard.
Another set of words quoted to Mr. Ferrara: "“We’ve lost sight of the fact that FM took 10 years” to become standard." He's not pointing out, though, that FM was building an audience based on programming which related to their lifestyle of the day, and AM was not serving this group. (Kind of sounds like the flight from regular broadcast to new media. But, that's another article.) Use your own ears and sample HD Radio at Clear Channel, Cox, or iBiquity's own site. Do you hear anything that "relates" in the same way FM did in its early years?
While the public's pulse on HD isn't beating, the latest glaze over this problem is in a rebuilt HD Radio Alliance web site to educate retailers and sales personnel on the benefits of HD Radio. Please, visit this site. Register. See what information the HD Radio Alliance is giving the retail industry to sell HD Radio. See if it differs from anything in past publicity releases. See if it contains the "deal closer" concept, or anything the excites the audience (clerks and retail management). This is death sign #1.
Next sign, and this is all the more you need to digest on this topic: HD Radio is not being promoted on radio station web sites. The radio industry has given up with "extra" promotion, over that huge commitment made by the HD Radio Alliance that's forced all member stations to comply.
Despite $230 million committed to promoting HD over the airwaves in 2008, and a few hundred million more spent over the past two years, a recent visit to thirty radio station web sites found only four that had any mention of HD Radio on the home page - and one did not link that mention to anything HD.
Here's a chart of station web sites visited from six major groups, featuring five stations each. Click on the station name to see what I saw.
(Note: These are random selections, with no visited site left out because it did not reflect the above comments. These are the only station sites I traveled to for this experiment.)
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Station Group |
Station |
Format |
Location |
Mention HD Radio |
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Clear Channel |
KDFO-FM |
Classic Rock |
Bakersfield, CA |
No |
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Clear Channel |
WTKG-AM |
Talk |
Grand Rapids, MI |
No |
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Clear Channel |
WWSW-FM |
Oldies |
Pittsburgh, PA |
medium sized HD link |
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Clear Channel |
KVET-FM |
Country |
Austin, TX |
hard-to-read banner |
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Clear Channel |
KISC-FM |
AC |
Spokane, WA |
No |
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Cumulus |
99X |
Alternative Rock |
Atlanta, GA |
No |
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Cumulus |
WFMS-FM 95.5 |
Country |
Indianapolis, IN |
No |
|
Cumulus |
KMJJ-FM 99.7 |
Urban |
Shreveport, LA |
No |
|
Cumulus |
WZNN-FM 106.7 |
Alternative |
Green Bay, WI |
No |
|
Cumulus |
KMAJ-AM 1440 |
News/Talk/Sports |
Topeka, KS |
No |
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Emmis |
The Loop 97.9 |
Rock |
Chicago, IL |
small HD link |
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Emmis |
WWVR-FM The River |
Classic Rock |
Terre Haute, IN |
No |
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Emmis |
HOT 97 WQHT |
Hip Hop and R&B |
New York, NY |
small HD banner/no link |
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Emmis |
Movin 93.9, KMVN-FM |
Rhythmic Pop Contemporary |
Los Angeles, CA |
No |
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Emmis |
107.1, KGSR-FM |
Adult Album Alternative |
Austin, TX |
No |
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Greater Media |
MAGIC 106.7 (WMJX) |
adult contemporary |
Boston, MA |
No |
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Greater Media |
WRIF 101.1 FM |
mainstream rock |
Detroit, MI |
No |
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Greater Media |
97.5 FM/WJJZ |
Smooth Jazz |
Philadelphia, PA |
No |
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Greater Media |
105.5 WDHA |
Classic Rock |
Cedar knolls, NJ |
No |
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Greater Media |
WJRZ 100.1 FM |
Hits of the 60's and 70' |
Manahawkin, NJ |
No |
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Entercom |
Kiss 98.5 FM |
ÀC |
Buffalo, NY |
No |
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Entercom |
KQMT The Mountain |
Timeless Classics |
Denver, CO |
No |
|
Entercom |
Charlie |
Variety Hits |
Madison, WI |
No |
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Entercom |
The Buzz KRSK |
Hot AC |
Portland, OR |
No |
|
Entercom |
WROQ |
Classic Rock |
Greenville, SC |
No |
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CBS Radio |
101.9 WLIF-FM |
AC |
Baltimore, MD |
No |
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CBS Radio |
WZMX-FM |
Rhythmic CHR |
Hartford, CT |
No |
|
CBS Radio |
O-Rock 105.9 |
Alternative Rock |
Orlando, FL |
No |
|
CBS Radio |
KVFG-FM |
Country |
Riverside, CA |
No |
|
CBS Radio |
94.7 The Globe |
Triple A |
Washington D.C. |
No |
As you're breezing through this list also keep your eyes open for indicators that the radio industry still has a lot to learn about web site design. Few of these sites refrain from what I call the auto dealer approach: Scream as loud as you can, flash as many bright colors as you can think of, and fill your 60 second commercial with 75 seconds of copy.
The whole lot of 30 web sites visited reflect similar design (except for a few, as mentioned).
The radio industry may be talking up good stories about its intent to compete online, and how HD Radio is being embraced by the audience. But, so far, there's little evidence that the radio industry is taking anything seriously.
As for the absence of mentioning HD Radio on any of these web sites home pages... that either comes from radio not believing in the power of the internet to sell product (which it can never admit to clients), or its lack of mentioning HD Radio comes from the beginning of the radio industry distancing itself from what's turning out to be a Huge Disaster!
HD Radio's death is imminent. It's only a matter of time, if you read the signs.
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Comments may be published.
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From: Bob Y.
HD radio, more properly known as IBOC was a lead balloon to begin with. AM IBOC stations spill over to adjacent stations for hundreds of miles at night, and FM stations have less power and cannot be heard unless you are within line of site of the antenna towers. If this is not rue why doesn't the IBOC Alliance dispute this, which is repeated over and over again in many different blogs and articles? You need an outside antenna to even get 1/4 of the range of a decent analog FM receiver and the second channels are mostly left overs from their main channels.
The only people now touting it are iBlock executives and a few beleaguered radio execs who were most likely forced to use it. It's too bad they didn't spend all that money on programming instead of throwing it away on a dead technology, isn't it. |
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From: Greg S
Here are a few more signs:
"IBiquity sees digital radio signaling changes to come" (Portland Biz Journal)
"The company has yet to turn a profit and does not expect to do so in 2007 or 2008, Struble said... Mass marketing and consumer adoption is the last hurdle, Struble said... Representatives of investment firms that have spots on iBiquity's board of directors could not be reached for comment, but Struble said they are excited about the progress the company is making. The focus is not on exit strategies yet, he said."
"Bellwether BE Makes Some Changes?" (Radio World Online)
"BE is going through some less pleasant changes right now. Within a few weeks' time the manufacturer of transmitters and digital audio and data products lost its global sales VP; it laid off some of its employees; and it announced the retirement of its CEO of eight years, John Pedlow - news that came, at least to me, suddenly... It's probably no secret that the rate of HD Radio adoption has slowed in the United States. There are new opportunities that exist in other countries; Mexico and Brazil come to mind; sales there are few but promising. The whole industry is in a bit of a null in the HD transition but I don't think anyone's long-term plans have changed."
"Have 200 HD Radio stations gone missing?" (Orbitcast)
"The HD Radio camp is advertising that there are currently over 1,500 radio stations now broadcasting in HD (from its website, to press releases as well as in various other promotions)... but yet only 1,300 have filed with the FCC."
"IS IBIQUITY RENEGING ON A REBATE OFFER?" (Bext.com)
"CGC #791 mentioned a limited-time price for the entry-level Radiosophy HD100 digital radio receiver and there was a handsome rebate offered from iBiquity. It now appears that iBiquity's rebate contractor is balking on issuing some rebates, and we'd like to determine the extent of the problem. If you purchased the Radiosophy HD100 and were (a) given a rebate or (b) not given a rebate but believe that you properly filed all the material required for a rebate, we'd like to know. Please send mailto:r.gonsett@ieee.org. We'll let you know if significant trends develop."
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From: Michael F
Suffice to say, you bring up some interesting points. And this is your field, more than it's mine... so I won't pretend to know all the answers to the points you bring up.
However, I do think too much focus is put on what the radio stations themselves are not currently doing (in particular relation to HD radio technology). I think they are two completely separate topics. HD radio will provide more content. Whether local radio stations take full advantage of that by putting money into local programming (whether they have one or two or three formats via HD radio) is immaterial, I believe. The reason is because that's a challenge for radio stations regardless if they upgrade to HD radio technology or not. But HD radio provides more potential options and hope for better programming in the future... if/when the radio stations take advantage of it. One of them here in Buffalo, NY (WBFO FM - NPR station) is one example of a radio station doing just that. Hopefully... more we follow.
And yes... I do fully agree that the radio industry must do a better job with using the media and capturing the attention of its listeners (etc)... but again... I am unclear as to how this relates to the evolution of HD radio (which iBiQuity just happened to champion a 'FCC standard' in the States -- that apparently no one else could make happen... and is that such a bad thing?).
HD radio (to me) is simply an advanced technology no different than HD TV in that it provides more programming OPTIONS (the reception and clarity is less important to most listeners) -- and now its up to each of the radio stations to utilize that power and make the most of it.
Stay tuned. Let's see if they do.
And by the way... there are several radio stations in my area (Buffalo, NY) openly advertising HD radio on their web sites and on the air. Buffalo NY.. not one of the greatest marketing towns on the planet (if that matters or not). My point is that not all of them are stopping the advertisement of HD radio. More today are doing it in local reception area than those who are not in the last year or so.
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From: Chris "K"
The kids don't care. They're listening to iPods. Terrestrial radio is becoming less and less an important factor in their lives. They want what they want, when they want --- they're not tied to the same reasons for listening as those of us who grew up listening to terrestrial radio. Let's see -- satellite radio vs. terrestrial radio vs. HD radio vs. iPods ... vs. THE INTERNET untethered, ubiquitous, w/ unlimited choice. Which will come first, untethered unfettered Internet access in our cars, or HD? Which will be less expensive for the consumer? Which will offer more choice? |
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