The Business Blog at Intuitive.com

Dave Taylor has been involved with the Internet since 1980 and is widely recognized as an expert on both technical and business issues. He has been published over a thousand times, launched four Internet-related startup companies, has written twenty business and technical books and holds both an MBA and MS Ed. Dave maintains four weblogs: The Business Blog at Intuitive.com, Ask Dave Taylor, Dave On Film, and Attachment Parenting Blog. Dave is an award-winning speaker, sought after conference and workshop participant and frequent guest on radio and podcast programs.

HD Digital Radio Alliance crash-burns, but won't admit it

I'm reading through the consumer electronics trade journal TWICE and bumped into this fascinating article: HD Radio Ads Combat Perceptions.

The story's really summed up in this sentence, that the Alliance's new "radio-ad campaign will combat the mistaken perception by many consumers that they already own an HD Radio."

That's an extraordinary problem to have, isn't it? Apparently the higher clarity, greater dynamic range digital "HD" radio is a baffling proposition to consumers, who either think that if their radio has a digital tuner they're set or that it's somehow related to satellite radio (Sirius/XM).

The metaphor that comes to mind is that it's like the rats organizing and having a rally as the ship they're on slowly swirls through the whirlpool and into the briny depths.

For better or worse, AM/FM works pretty well, it's cheap, pervasive and now that there are so, so many different alternatives for listening to music (for example, I have an 80GB iPod plugged into my car stereo so I have an enormous music library on the road and far more flexibility - and sound quality - than any on-air alternative) it doesn't need to be supplanted.

That's the core problem that Sirius/XM have been having for years too. It's just alien for the vast majority of consumers to think about paying for radio. I mean, it's just airwaves, right?

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the HD Digital Radio Alliance explains that the ads are intended to make people go to the HD Radio.com Web site so that people will view HD station guides because, as she explains, "we know if listeners find a station they want to hear that is not on the AM or FM dial, they will buy a new radio."

Uh, no. If they realize that there's music that they want to hear but don't have access to on their radio dial, they'll create a playlist on their music player, plug their smartphone into their stereo and turn on Pandora or Slacker or otherwise sidestep the entire over-the-air infrastructure.

That's not the only place they're out of touch with reality, though. Alliance president Diane Warren explains that “In this economic environment, being able to receive all these extra stations around the country for free is immensely appealing.�? Unfortunately Diane forgets that you have to buy new radios to get these additional channels, and the cheapest option is almost $100.

Then again, perhaps I'm wrong and lots of my friends and colleagues have their HD Digital Radio devices and are happily listening to all the additional high quality channels. Are you?

Posted by Dave Taylor at March 25, 2009 1:56 PM

Comments

I think you are right that the trouble with HD Radio is the insufficient value-add over traditional radio. Satellite radio offers a huge number of channels, and works in the middle of nowhere -- making it very attractive to road warriors. HD Radio's value-add is to offer a crystal clear, digital broadcast instead of a crystal clear, analog broadcast, and I haven't found much interesting content on the "extra" channels.

I own an HD Radio receiver, and it does help me receive stations that otherwise would have too much static here in downtown Denver's multipath interference area. People in most areas can probably receive regular FM radio fine, though.

What disturbs me most is that my receiver (the Jensen model available at Target) will spontaneously reboot and occasionally freeze up. I guess that can be expected when adding software (complexity) to a formerly simple device. (Normal FM radios don't reboot and freeze up.) I develop software for consumer electronics, so I'll do my best to not be part of the problem. :)

Posted by: David Simmons on March 26, 2009 11:33 AM

I almost never listen to my radio anymore. I have an iPhone with a great playlist or audio book which meets all of my needs. That coupled with my car's premium sound system suits me just fine. I agree that there is not enough (or any) value add here. Now only if they could make a "true" auto tuner for my iPhone...

Posted by: John R. Sedivy on March 26, 2009 7:54 PM

I've noticed there's important information always missing from the
Alliance new releases, or puff pieces from radio world. It's not HD
models, or the always flexible, floating total number of HD stations.
Licensed or broadcasting.. Do you care to guess? It's a killer! It's
really important! and as obvious has the nose on your face..

Ok...IT'S LISTENERS! IS ANYBODY LISTENING? It's very interesting that
the Alliance always sidesteps ratings, or if nothing else,
successful station promotions, where two people showed up... or called
the bat phone to win a million bucks..Build it and they will come, ya
right!
I forgot HD stations are merely ghost ships, nobody's home..And PC
works hard playing more music..

I sell spots for a small 10K newsTalk station. It's six months new and
I know people are listening and i can document successful station
promotions where hundreds showed up, or clients got results from their
ads..Can HD do any of that?

Number of units sold, total HD's on air, or the price of receivers is
getting old and doesn't really matter..
it's time to play radio.. and make something happen. otherwise whats
the point..

Alliance, it's time to put up of shut up.. if not, unplug and go dark
you're just wasting resources...

It's radio, not news releases filled with hype, crap and lies..

Posted by: transistor radio on March 28, 2009 5:28 PM

HD Radio is long finished. HD Radio is an example of hamfisted 90's Command Economy gags, the same ones which brought down the soviet union.

People like AM & FM. UK aparats, to their chagrin, realized that when UK listeners again rejected digital. As ever, aparats ignore reality and push for 'all to go digital', expecting something other than inevitable public rejection.

During the 90's BigBiz cheaszes 'partnered' with BigGov pals to inflict HD upon us. Don't they call that socialism, if not cronyism? They set a date for 'all to go digital'. Then they kept rolling back the date because people like radio as it is and don't want to go digital.

Radio is about people, not 'digital'. We turn on the radio to hear people, not 'digital'.

During a recent trip out of the country, stateside AM stations kept us apprised of events stateside. Stations in the regions we visited entertained and informed us.

They were analog, well heard on portable sets. They didn't jam one another, the way HD Radio is designed to do.

As HD continues to unravel, its unusual promoters will press for and likely receive tax dollars to inflict HD yet again until every listener turns off radio altogether.

The HD gang will at once proclaim victory.

And so it goes...

Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
30 March, 2009

Posted by: paul vincent zecchino on March 30, 2009 9:13 AM

I foolishly bought one, am I listening to it? hell no, the range is terrible, it runs hotter than an old tube TV and doesn't sound much different than an analog radio, in fact many people think analog sounds better. It's a big scam and is a miracle that the alliance isn't bankrupt already, in fact what's up with that?

Posted by: Bob Young on March 30, 2009 10:21 PM

Before you leave a comment, a tip: If you're interested in blogging, you should sign up for my Blogsmart News so you can stay up to date on the latest insider tips and ideas for your Internet business and marketing efforts. Sign up right now and you'll get a free copy of my "Insider's Guide to Blogging" ebook too!