[BC] IBUZ opinion from an outsider

[Bob Young]

I thought some of you guys might want to hear the opinion of an outsider, 
someone who just listens to the radio, I'm a DXer and avid AM listener. I am 
still startled every time I do a band scan and hear that terrible noise that 
surrounds locals WBZ and WTAG, makes me want to jump out of my chair, what's 
wrong with my radio??. The other day my local WKOX 1200 dropped their 
daytime to nighttime power at 6 pm, I then switched to WLIB 1190 (yes 
Airamerica) and all I could hear for a solid hour was IBUZ from WHAM 1180 
and this is not the DXer in me, I like Airamerica and listen a lot. I was 
very annoyed that I could not listen to one of my favorite stations because 
of this noise. I have read that the industry expects everyone to endure this 
noise for 12 more years until all conventional radios become obsolete 
doorstops as AM will be all IBUZ at that point, the millions and millions of 
radios that have been manufactured for the past 80 years will have all 
become obsolete including the Nice Nationals that have been mentioned here 
previously. From all the stuff I have read pro and con I believe that IBUZ 
if anything will be the end of AM radio as people are not going to buy these 
radios unless they are forced to, especially with all the trouble free 
alternatives. The noisier the AM band becomes because of IBUZ the more 
people are going to turn it off permanently and I have not seen one written 
word that convinces me that IBUZ is not an exercise in futility, a waste of 
precious time and possible an end to a legitimate medium that has changed 
yes but is still alive. At least AM stereo was a good idea and didn't 
interfere with adjacent channels and generate a terrible noise, if that 
didn't work and catch on why do some of the industry think IBUZ will, is it 
because ???DIGITAL!!! is a new buzz word and everyone is going to buy it 
because of the cache of the word like some people buy ahem, 1000 watt 
boomboxes? Please most of us are not that stupid. Or is it because with the 
present atmosphere the FCC will mandate us to accept this noise and have to 
buy new receivers? I don't think so, the FCC can mandate us to throw the 
millions and millions of AM radios into the ocean but they can't mandate us 
to buy new radios and especially can't mandate us to listen, and if the 
industry thinks most people will just blindly follow a dictate like that 
again I don't think so. Most people listen to and accept AM the way it is 
and like it and couldn't care less whether it is ???DIGITAL!!! or not. OK 
back to lurk mode, couldn't hold it in any longer,

Bob Young
------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2005 16:52:01 -0400
From: "Michael Bergman" <mbergman42 at comcast.net>
Subject: [BC] RAIN report: HD Radio s Creative Thinking
To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Message-ID: <200510152053.j9FKr5G23387 at mailscanner.virtbiz.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

All,

This is a rant, pure and simple.  Fair warning...

Rich:

> You seem to
> be asking us to roll over and play dead so we don't slow the rollout
> of potentially deadly technology. Ain't gonna happen. I don't
> subscribe to the premise that bad digital is better than good analog.

Actually, if you were doing SOMETHING other than complain, that would be
fine.  But you aren't, you're posting here over and over.  I tend to agree
with Mr. Orban.

> Let's get IBUZ working right before we dump other things on top
> of technology with 3 flat tires.

You can say "Let's", but you're not going to do any heavy lifting, are you?


> It appears that, in the rush to collect money, this technology wasn't
> very carefully thought out.

You haven't studied it, you don't understand the technical and business
tradeoffs that people made to get here, and you're not really qualified to
discuss it.  Real people made real tradeoffs.  I know you hate the result of
these tradeoffs.  But you did nothing to help, and you're not offering to
help.  Stop complaining and help build something new--if you think you can
get the industry consensus for your new technology.  Or just stop
complaining.

> Greed doesn't inspire my respect. It inspires my ridicule.

Please.  Don't be naive.  "Those big companies are greedy!"  What a childish
rant.  Wake up, dude, this is America.  This is a market-driven
communications business with FCC oversight.

> I'd like
> to think my comments have some impact. I doubt my comments have any
> effect on what anyone involved is going to do. If this is stopping
> the easy rollover of the broadcast industry by iBorg I'm glad.

Regarding your comments having the impact you want--not the slightest,
remotest chance in the farthest quarters of hell.  Who, with real "impact",
hasn't already made their decision?  The top 20 out of 20 major broadcast
groups have endorsed IBOC and are rolling it out.  That's 100%, for those
keeping score.  You're not influencing key broadcast leaders to tell
iBiquity to change their technology.

So what ARE you doing, by hurting the rollout?  Well, since the bulk of
broadcaster industry is committed to IBOC, and the receiver makers are
pretty much in, the ones remaining are retailers, car OEMs and consumers.

So...retailers who read your posts stay with satellite radio...car OEMs who
read your posts stay with satellite radio...consumers, the same...and the
broadcast industry loses a few more ears thanks to your efforts...OK, got
it: You're hurting radio.

Yes, you are hurting your industry.  Radio is committed to a path that you
don't like, and you're hurting it as a result.  More ears to satellite.  You
don't like IBOC, radio has gone to IBOC, so you're doing your darndest to
damage the industry and keep important segments focused on satellite.

I doubt you'll give it up.  I may only be fanning your fire.  'Dems da
breaks; I had to get this off my chest.  (Did I mention that you're hurting
radio?  That was, every time you post your hatred for IBOC, car OEMs flinch?
Yes, you...you're doing this...you...hurting radio...)

Mike Bergman