[BC] Re: HD Receiver

[Rich Wood]

------ At 06:28 AM 2/15/2007, Kent Winrich wrote: -------

>For example, you critisize all of HD2 based on one instance on your local
>station.  (dont get me wrong, it is an issue for SOME stations, but you dont
>seem to realize what has been done at some facilities).

If this is such a non-issue why did the head of the HD Dominion make 
a very clear point in a trade interview of the importance of paying 
attention to your secondaries? This isn't the first instance, by far. 
It's just the worst yet. I can only assume he felt the need to 
mention it because it's a persistent problem that could seriously 
jeopardize the sale of receivers. He's the top dude and knows more 
about IBUZ than anyone in the universe. The station is owned by a 
major investor in the technology and a member of the HD Dominion. 
Still, it doesn't consider its secondary worth monitoring. If these 
additional radio stations are so critical why are companies firing so 
many people? In most industries when you pump up production you hire 
more people.

If so much has been done at some facilities, please tell us how many 
stations are programming their secondaries live and local. How many 
are treating their secondaries as real radio stations? Something a 
little more serious than a cheap computer with free or cheap 
scheduling/automation software. Since audio quality has ceased to be 
a credible issue we have to rely on the secondaries to sell receivers.

>Another, you base your HD receiver sales on the Boston/Springfield area;
>talking to one shop about single receiver.

Untrue. I've heard every receiver available to consumers except the 
JVC and the Sangean. No one carries them within 100 miles. I'm not 
about to waste my money ordering receivers I'll never use from 
Crutchfield or J&R. The single receiver you mention is one with which 
you had an issue.

You're fortunate in living where all the big box stores have jumped 
on the bandwagon. Within 100 miles I have one chain of stores that 
used to carry multiple receivers. Radio Shack carries their own and 
the BA Receptor which I've ruled out as deaf as a post. I thought one 
might have been bad but I've discovered all are the same and the one 
I actually bought was defective. To be fair I tried a number of them 
in various locations. The one store that did carry multiple brands no 
longer does. They're now special order items without the ability to 
play with one before you order it with a 20% non-refundable deposit. 
Since Polk spiffs salespeople it's the only IBUZ receiver on display. 
It isn't even plugged in and not important enough to connect to their 
outdoor antenna. The price tag with a brief description touts the 
ability of the Polk to work with an iPod. Same with the Accurian at 
Radio Shack. It's generally displayed next to the iPods. The AUX 
input is referred to as an iPod input.

I don't know how familiar you are with New England but there are many 
relatively large cities within about 100 miles. Boston, Framingham, 
Worcester, Springfield, Albany, Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, New 
London, Providence among others where High End audio and big box 
stores exist. In none of those cities have I found a Best Buy or 
Circuit City that carries any IBUZ receivers. Radio Shack stocks a 
few spread around their stores in each city. Those that do sell them 
tell me they've had a near 100% return rate. Consumers that do keep 
them tend to work for radio stations and are willing to erect outdoor 
antennas to receive those stations whose towers they can see from the roof.

I also think you may be misunderstanding coop advertising. It's when 
the manufacturer pays either all or part of the cost of the retailer 
exclusively featuring their product in their ads. The only IBUZ 
manufacturer I would consider large enough to have coop advertising 
is Kenwood. Coop is generally restricted to major products. I'll bet 
the IBUZ ads are preemptable inventory deeply discounted. Network and 
big local buyers generally call it distressed inventory.  It's like 
the airplane seat that leaves empty. It'll never be available, again, 
so you might as well sell it at a fire sale price.

With the number of cities in the Northeast I can receive at least as 
many stations as I could in New York. We tend to put antennas on 
mountains. If I wanted an antenna on the roof with a rotator I could 
receive most New York City FMs. I did it as a kid. Boston and New 
York came in like locals with a Radio Shack log periodic.

Programming isn't compelling enough to waste the effort when I have 
so many other options.

Rich