A personal take on the "drive for digital"... (Catchy, eh?)
Ibiquity arguably has the best technology solution here because it alone addresses the blackout problem that occurs when the digital signal degrades below threshold. However, like its digital brethren (DAB, DAB+ and DRM, there's really minimal interest and demand for it. That's partially due to the fact that every survey I've seen shows that's listeners are perfectly satisfied with analog FM and flummoxed by the additional roadblocks presented by transitioning to digital--including cost, reception issues and--in the case of Ibiquity--availability of portable and home receivers.
The other reason is that--with the exception of public radio in the U.S.--the decision-making process about what to program on the additional FM channels offered by the Ibiquity technology (termed IBOC for "in-band, on-channel") in the commercial radio realm is as restrictive as a Politburo policy statement. The commercial sector is so afraid of cannibalizing the primary stations that the formats available for the secondary HD2 and HD3 channels are weak, pale derivatives of what's already arguably too widely programmed.
When FM first emerged in the mid to late '60s in the U.S., it benefited from a farsighted FCC policy and a more or less noblesse oblige attitude from station owners (multiple individual, not corporately concentrated as today) preoccupied with their competitive, but profitable AM stations. While they weren't looking, significant experimentation with program format, presentation styles and content occurred. Free form and progressive rock were two highly popular formats that emerged on FM that had never been heard on AM.
Nothing approaching that free, energetic attitude is coming out of commercial radio today. So, what's the point, what's the attraction for listeners to go out and buy an (often more expensive) new radio? The improved audio argument doesn't seem to fly on its own. Even in the UK where DAB radios have made a significant dent in the market, any discussion of shutting down or de-emphasizing FM engenders rage.
John Figliozzi A slew of news on digital radio today at radiomagonline.com: New Siano chip supports both mobile TV and digital radio (DAB, DRM, DVB, etc) : http://tinyurl.com/qbv4zpy Ibiquity claims big growth in sales and listening (umm, divide this by the 315 million population in the US and it’s not as impressive): http://tinyurl.com/mttlgfg Frontier Silicon announces 4th generation radio chip (DRM, DAB, IBOC, etc): http://tinyurl.com/lup5xhz And more... such is CES week. -- -Rob de Santos, K8RKD Horizons Columnist CQ Plus Magazine
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