[BC] HD Radio Sales to the Common Listener

[Rich Wood]

------ At 06:23 PM 3/2/2009, Stanley Adams wrote: -------

>I went through the on line catalogue for Walmart today and all I saw where
>two HD radios in a high priced mobile format.  I just wonder how many of the
>200 dollar radios they are selling?

I used to do "Where in the world is IBUZ" retailer visits in this 
market every few weeks. Wal-Mart department managers told me they 
hadn't sold any of the auto receivers so they replaced them with the 
more popular iPod/Satellite units. From the time I started tracking 
local sales until now I've seen fewer and fewer units on display and 
none set up to demonstrate.

>And I wonder if there will ever be a regular table radio with HD for 50$?

I have both the Sony tuner and the table radio. I paid $50 for each 
with the rebates. I have an external antenna in a glass-enclosed 
turret on an old Victorian house, effectively 4 stories up. The Sony 
tuner is amazing in analog.  The table radio isn't worth the $50 I 
paid for it during a Best Buy clearance sale plus rebate. The 
Accurian is sitting in the basement. The JVC in the car is OK in 
analog but useless in a moving vehicle. Fortunately, it can be forced 
to analog, though it fires up in IBUZ mode. There's only one station 
in the market with unique programming (not "brand extension") 
formats. Fortunately, the station also has a 50Kw AM that does a far 
better job than their HD-2. Most secondaries here are "brand 
extensions". That simply means a country or rock station adds another 
category of music to the rotation on the analog and calls it unique. 
It means you don't actually have to hire anyone.

>Sort of seems like a failure to me no matter what the press says or the
>number federal dollars spent on NPR stations or your dollars spent on your
>stations.

The general press says whatever the IBUZ company puff releases feed 
them. Trade papers are a bit more honest with the exception of one 
that  acts like a shill for the company.

I no longer actively track receiver sales since Tweeter and Circuit 
City have closed. Best Buy sells only two car receivers. The 
salespeople know nothing about IBUZ and sell them on their iPod and 
Satellite capabilities. One high end audio dealer has had a Boston 
Acoustics Receptor on display for more than two years. The owner says 
it has a bright future in a dumpster.

I believe IBUZ is dead. I'd find it unacceptable to fire thousands of 
creative people and spend their salaries on something for which 
there's absolutely no demand. Most likely, the economy will drive the 
final nail in the coffin.

>But I am looking for my Obama Grant or Bailout any day!  I am going to stock
>my bunker with Free Bubble Up and all the Rainbow Stew that I can fit in
>there, and a good tube radio.

That's sadly appropriate. As a kid the rage was a bomb shelter in 
every yard to save us from them Commies. Today's IBUZ bomb is far 
less destructive and saves us from nothing but a healthy bank account.

I don't know anyone I dislike enough to give the Accurian and Sony 
Table radio to. Maybe I'll have a yard sale. Trouble is I'd have to 
find something with actual value to sell to get people to stop and look.

Rich