[BC] HD/2 (was: [Fwd: HD2])

[Jeff Welton]

Note that the following is long and totally opinion (absolutely no fact
involved) so you may wish to exercise the delete key now.  It's just
what I think as a fairly frequent listener.

Mike E. commented, in part:

> The launch of these HD2's is the first RIGHT STEP IBOC has made in my
eyes.
> I may not have been optimistic, but as a listener, since my listening
> choices in NYC are down to WQXR, CD-101.9 and the occasional 80's show
on
> WPLJ (talk about audio problems), as a *listener* I am more optimistic
about
> the potential of WKTU-HD2 (Country) WCBS-HD2 (Oldies) and WLTW-HD2
(Gold AC)
> as things I would probably want to hear in the car.

I've written three replies on this topic as I review the messages from
the last two weeks, then bitten my tongue and deleted all three before
sending.  I can't hold it anymore!  Mike nailed it pretty well, in my
opinion.  I spend a lot of time in the US, and almost never listen to
the radio in a big city. I've even had to go so far as to ask engineers
of major market FMs to turn the transmitter site air monitors off, so I
could get things done without the distraction (and this was for formats
that I mostly enjoy!).  No dynamic range, mod monitor welded to 105%, 3
songs with 15 minutes of commercials and no local information (I'm
exaggerating a bit, but that's how I feel when I do listen).  Radio
shouldn't make your ears bleed (and I speak as a *somewhat* reformed
metalhead).

To get an example of what I do like for radio (try to ignore the sound
quality, it's a very poorly processed low bitrate stream, the actual
station sounds quite a bit better <g>), check one of our local stations:
www.planetkool.ca.  I should clarify - this is my wife's station of
choice and I like it enough not to bother changing the station when
she's not in the vehicle with me. Local information (news, weather,
traffic - as if we have that in Halifax), some dynamic range to the
music, dj's who sound like they're having fun and talking to you, not at
you, and songs that bring back some pretty good (or at least
entertaining) memories.  Most of the shows are live, some are locally
voicetracked (As Steve Davis so astutely observed, why bother doing a
midnight to 6 am shift when the show can be recorded from noon to 6
pm?), a few are fed in via satellite from other areas (Halifax just
doesn't have a Rick Dees equivalent at the moment and that's fine too,
we know where to find him).  If I drive anywhere outside of the coverage
area of this station, I already know what presets to select for the
other stations we listen to (primarily CBC - it's eclectic and
frequently fun - but there are some other locals we hit as we pass
through specific communities).  Most are FM because that's where
Canada's pretty much gone, but a few are AM.  As a matter of fact, if
you check the BBM ratings for Canadian radio, you'll find that AM's make
up some of the top rated stations in the country (CKNW in Vancouver
would be a prime example, pulling in 15% of the market (A12+) in an area
with nearly 20 rated stations - ref:
http://www.bbm.ca/en/BBM_Canada_S4_2005_Top-line_Radio_Report_final.pdf)
.  Sound quality is nice, but it's secondary to the entertainment.

If you guys played radio like this (and I'll admit that a lot of medium
to small markets in the US that haven't been totally absorbed in the
loudness wars still do radio this way) I'd listen more.  As it is, I
haven't heard an FM station between Secaucus NJ and Fredericksburg VA
that caused me to leave the radio on any time I'm on that stretch of
I-95.  That doesn't mean they aren't there, just that I haven't found
them yet - I mostly listen to Radio Disney on the east coast (that in
itself sort of makes my point).  The big thing HD is going to do to save
radio in the US is to cause participating stations, at least
temporarily, to increase the dynamic range on all of the digital
channels and to offer programming options that could possibly include
something like the above.  HD may force the change, but it could just as
easily been accomplished in analog mode, IMHO.  That said, the changes,
IF PROPERLY MANAGED (this is where I think the HD Alliance is a good
idea - sorry Rich) will almost be certainly be for the better and I'm
excited to be in a position to help make them happen, at least on the
equipment end.

I'll concede that as a male, 40+, I'm not a prime demographic (dunno
why, as this year alone, I expect to be buying a new vehicle, at least
one more computer, already bought another <analog> television and a DVD
player, and looking at houses.  I'll also be renewing two insurance
policies, taking at least one family vacation and spending several
thousand dollars on gasoline, tires and general vehicle maintenance).
My wife on the other hand is a (mid) 30ish female which should put her
in the demographic of choice and last time I took her on a drive to
North Carolina (about 2-1/2 years ago now) she kept switching the radio
off and popping cassettes into the deck - whenever we couldn't get a
Radio Disney station <g>.  Oh, and for the people that complain about
cookie cutter radio and "Jack", it's one of the more successful formats
in Western Canada - when it's not overdone, I've got no issues with so
called cookie-cutter radio; one of the biggest attractions I see with
satellite radio is to hear the same format as I drive across the country
without having to hunt all over the dial. Just keep the DJ's
entertaining, not obnoxious (that's why I don't listen to talk radio)
and not condescending.  Minimize the apparent commercial load (key word
is "apparent" - spread them out, don't bunch them up) and keep some
dynamic range in the audio.  Again, just my opinion.  Of course, I also
don't like most "real TV" shows or "anything Idol", so I'm probably an
anomaly.  I'm also Canadian, that most likely makes it worse <grinning>.

Jeff Welton
<leaving the corporate contact info out, I'm speaking for myself, by
myself, and probably to myself.  Opinions are formed by watching what
the wife listens to, what the kids listen to, and what causes the dog to
leave the room>