[BC] Wow, I wonder if y ou feel the same way about AM?

[Jim Seaman]

Speaking of convergence, I was just catching up on the news. This thread and events beyond our control are already converging. It seems the future began last year...
 
>From a Verizon press conference in April 2009:
 
"Tony Melone, senior vice president and chief technology officer for Verizon Wireless, said during an interview at the CTIA_Wireless_2009_tradeshow here Wednesday that the new 4G network that the company is building will blanket the entire continental United States, including the far corners of rural America."
 
"Even though Verizon is primarily building the 4G wireless network to provide faster service for mobile devices, Melone said the network could also be used to provide fixed broadband access to rural homes."
 
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12261_7-10209933-51.html
 
I grew up on radio and I love the medium, but there is really nothing we can do to hold back the tide which will involve a swift transition to packet switched IP traffic based on open standards for everything information related. HD Radio is interesting, but will become an historical footnote within the lifetimes of most of us on this list. People holding torches for HD and analog radio will shortly see them turn into vigil candles on a death watch for traditional broadcasting. 
 
With the announcement above, and the DTV broadcasters beginning to go mobile, I can't conceive of any mass market consumer electronics manufacturer who will want to waste resources developing HD radios when the handwriting is on the wall. They already see how consumers are responding with a yawn to HD Radio simply because other technologies are overtaking it. 
 
As I said earlier, the future of radio broadcasting lies in dockable mobile devices involving wireless highspeed broadband. It may better serve the engineers who still have an NAB travel budget to take the money and go out to the CES or one of the Wireless trade shows instead. Once there, I believe evangelists will quickly be born.
 
I want to make myself clear that these changes wil be a good thing. It won't spell the end of radio, it will mark the beginning of thousands of new opportunties.
 
Jim Seaman