[BC] WalMart to get IBUZ radios

[Rich Wood]

------ At 09:02 PM 3/5/2007, engineermike wrote: -------

>We now have 5 stations in Knoxville running HD but it's only been 
>for a couple weeks now.  Prior to that there was only one and that 
>was me.  We have contacted a few stores but have not had the time to 
>start a push yet.  One of the Radio Shack managers aside he would 
>get some in stock as soon as he could and that the only reason they 
>hadn't been ordered was he was unaware that there were any HD 
>stations in the market.  I guess we just have to be better promoters.

Bingo. We have Keystone Kops marketing. Each station is responsible 
for marketing its version of IBUZ. It's easier and cheaper to used 
distressed inventory on your own station than it is to actually get 
out and use a mix of media (like satellite did). In my market, the 
Radio Shack stores have the Accurian displayed (not plugged in or 
connected to an Art Bell-type antenna) right next to the satellite 
and iPod displays. The BA Receptor is behind a large sale sign for 
some other product and isn't connected. I was told they'll try and 
sell it when they get spiffed like satellite.

I'll add Wal-Mart to my "Where in the World is Carmen IBUZ" retailer 
visits. I also did a Google search for the Wal-Mart unit and came up 
blank. On my last trip to stores the JVC unit with the IBUZ 
capability built in was conspicuously absent while several other JVC 
units screaming "iPod-ready" and "Sat-Ready" were on display and 
operating. They also carried the external satellite tuners.

It's my understanding that all Wal-Mart product is on consignment. If 
it doesn't sell it goes back and the manufacturer has to eat shipping 
and promotion costs. I wonder what they've removed from the other JVC 
unit to make the Wal-Mart price point. None of the Wal-Marts in my 
market have installation services. Where will a Wal-Mart customer go 
to get it installed?

We still have broadcasters paying little or no attention to their 
secondaries. Higher audio quality isn't going to sell these things. 
Awesome niche HD-2 formats will. It's the luck of the draw that the 
HD-2 will be functioning when you go to buy a receiver.

Rich