[BC] Re: IBOC secrets and my opinion

[Robert Meuser]

Xmitters at aol.com wrote:

> We are not equipped with research and developm
>ent 
>required to produce a digital transmission system on our own. Who's system do 
>you think we should be using then? We appear "willing" because there is not a 
>hell of a lot of choice in the matter. IBOC is something to get the technology 
>out there and we have to start someplace.
>

I would take issue with that. IBOC is a purely political animal. Digital 
technology (Eureka) was available and at that time so was the needed 
spectrum. The major players of the day rejected the more level playing 
field that was potentially possible for their competition to achieve. A 
concerted effort over ten years was made to develop the anti-Eureka 
system. This is all about competition and politics.  If we had 
consolidation back in the early 90s I wonder what a major group that 
owned enough stations in one market to fill a pod would have done. 

R