[BC] Uselessness of HD

[Mike McCarthy]

HD-2's are being used as sources for analog translators.  That makes 
sense.  There's one here doing ESPN Deportes.

In so far as HD-2 only content, there are some great channels.  And yes, 
the HD2 (HD3, traffic, etc.) channels are typically all PPM encoded in 
markets where PPM is in place.  The problem with selling the channels is 
simply a critical mass of receivers capable of receiving them hasn't 
been reached. More people stream those HD2's (PPM encoded) than listen.

  I found it really humorous last week that the HD Alliance announced, 
er trumpeted 8 million receivers are out there.  What they didn't say is 
the vast majority of the last 6 million are in cars only and 10 times 
that number of analog only radios sell each year in other equally used 
modes of listening.  And on top of that, the earliest million are poorly 
performing receivers and have largely been shelved, returned, or disposed.

As for the local GM having a say in the matter, that's a decision made 
above his pay grade.  The HD Alliance station groups are all shelling 
out millions of unrecoverable funds for content origination with very 
few of them making a penny.  Ownership continues to pour money into this 
sinking ship. It's become so bad that some GM's have asked the expenses 
to operate those additional channels be excluded from performance 
reviews and bonus calculations.  It's a loosing proposition for most 
operations and an added headache for engineers operating in cramped 
quarters and limited resources.

If the trend of one or two stations a month continues at the present, 
there remains >1000 months before all commercial FM's will have converted.

MM

On 6/26/2012 1:10 AM, Mike Vanhooser wrote:
> To start another discussion, let me throw a monkey wrench in here.
>
> I'm not against HD sub-channels, I think they're pretty cool, I'm just wondering what's the point?  This is clearly an expense, not only in building an HD facility, but man-hours in programming, royalty fees, and maintenance.  Why would any bottom-line-conscious GM expend a penny on something so worthless?  Maybe there's something here I'm missing, but I don't think so.  Enlighten me, why are these channels here if they generate no revenue and diminish the real station's listenership?  I guess I've spent too many years in AM.
>