[BC] can technology create a significant revenue source

[Dana Puopolo]

EXACTLY! The way capatalism happens is to create a demand, then come up with a
product to fufill said demand. Two things also come into play: TIMING and
LUCK! HD radio's problem is timing-it came too late to be useful. So did AM
stereo (by he time it came to market the broadcasters, helped by Leonard Kahn
had delayed it too long). There was no demand by the time these products came
to market. It's happened before: Beta, Laserdisks, Elcaset, Sony ATRAC, DIVX
(almost put Best Buy out of business) SACD, and on and on-and it will happen
again too.

The same could have happened to HDTV-except there's a third wrinkle that
sometimes applies: Government "help". In thic case DTV was foisted on us by
the govt.-who wanted to sell excess spectrum to wireless carriers to help
along another product-smart phones.

-D

From: Jeff Glass <Xmitters at aol.com>

NO, it can't. We're looking at this back asswards. Technology does not 
normally create a demand. Demand creates a need for technology.  There are
some 
obvious exceptions to this rule. 
If the technology is the result of responding to a real demand, then new 
technology can create additional revenue.
Some people believe that Internet streaming is the way to go, and I agree 
with that. Based on the fact that there are significant number of Internet 
surfers who are willing to listen to radio via the Net, it makes sense for 
broadcasters to employ that technology. 
There is a need for creativity with regard to new products, and sometimes 
those new products will create a demand (where the operative term is 
sometimes).  But there is a very fine line between responding to a demand for
a 
product and creating a demand for a product. 

To my knowledge, there was not a consumer drive for HD Radio. We just put 
it out there, hoping people would buy into it because it was latest 
technology. They might. But, this approach is the long way of getting a
product to 
sell.