[BC] RAIN report: HD Radio's Creative Thinking

[mbergman@kenwoodusa.com]

This was cross-posted on another forum, so I'd like to post my reply 
here as well.

I've followed the discussions on this in the NRSC.  Cox asked the 
NRSC to endorse a creative scheme.  The NRSC decided not to (that's 
the short version).  I was very much against modifying the channel 
numbering scheme for a variety of reasons, and pretty vocal about it.

The problem is that Multicasting is already launched.  This would 
have been a terrific initiative in 2003.  Actually, some people in 
the industry (Kenwood, iBiquity, some broadcasters) had this 
conversation about 18 months ago, and the receivers on the market or 
coming to the market now are the result.  If you look at Kenwood, 
Radiosophy, Polk and Boston Acoustic protos, they all use the 
frequency with some suffix to indicate the multicast channel.  The 
suffix for the first multicast channel (after Main) is -2, or Ch2, or 
HD2, etc., but there's always a '2' as the numeric element of the suffix.

There should be about a dozen announced radios by the end of January, 
and all of them are using this suffix approach.  We're still waiting 
for more to arrive, but indications are that the logjam is clearing 
around Dec'05-Jan'06.

If we change channel systems, you end up using the current "frequency 
+ suffix" approach for several years before there's any quantity of 
product with a "new, creative" scheme.  I know there aren't many 
receivers in the market now, but if you have a multicast channel on 
the air, you can't really ignore the growing installed 
base.  Infinity and others are already using the "frequency + suffix" 
approach in their marketing of their multicast channels.

So on balance, the NRSC decided to endorse the "frequency + suffix" 
approach, and discontinue any further investigation of "new, 
creative" channel schemes (Cox decided to do the market research 
about when NRSC dead-ended it).

It's just too late in the game.  I think the engineers understand 
this--they're used to project plans, and understand scope creep, 
etc., but the marketing people don't seem to understand how 
multicasting broadcasters are already rather committed to the current 
system, or the huge force it would take to move the receiver industry.

Of the entire receiver industry, only a few are even participating in 
the discussion.  One maker I know of simply cancelled their multicast 
receiver plan for 2006 due to this controversy.  It's a bad situation 
if you are broadcasting IBOC, since it's only going to cause the car 
OEMs and other key players to sit on their hands until it is resolved.

Worst is that the receiver industry simply isn't interested in 
changing.  We know the broadcasters are stuck with the current 
scheme, if they want any listeners on multicast channels for the next 
few years, so by the time you can walk into Best Buy and find a "new, 
creative" channel scheme radio, the current system will be thoroughly 
and completely a part of the landscape.

It's too bad, since Cox has some interesting ideas, but it is two 
years too late.

Mike Bergman




 > Those of you with just a bit of time on your hands may want to read

 > yesterday's RAIN news letter.

 >

 > 
<http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/100405/index.asp>http://www.kurthanson.com/archive/news/100405/index.asp

 >

 > There's an interesting article whereby Cox is purportedly re-addressing the

 > HD Radio user interface to the listener.  Apparently, RBR has also 
presented

 > their own proposal.

 >

 > 
<http://www.rbr.com/epaper/pages/october05/05-194_news1.html>http://www.rbr.com/epaper/pages/october05/05-194_news1.html

 >

 > Either way, they're interesting ideas that seem to follow on the heels of

 > the XM and Sirius channel plans.  However, there is an interesting, if not

 > sobering quote from the RBR piece...

 >

 > "The current system was designed by engineers, not marketers. It is

 > cumbersome and not consumer-friendly."

 >

 > Paul

 >

 > ====================================

 > Paul Christensen, CPBE, CBNT