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February 2, 2016 8:10 AM  #1


HD radio: Sorry it ain't going to work

Was reading @airchecker's Twitter feed and he mentions the future of HD radio. 

Sorry, HD radio isn't going to work.  It's not anything to do with it's technical capabilities. It has everything to do with the big radio mafia and it's likely just too late in the tech cycle. 

No place is the big radio mafia more stuck in the past than HD radio. It puts out a couple of stations, doesn't inform the consumer & then declares it a failure because there is no demand. It's the 1950's text book mentality way too common in the industry.

When Sirius came to market, it's initial iteration was mostly a failure. But it had an idea, stayed focused & the end result is it's a profitable corporation with around 33 million subscribers. Given it's cost & that it's mostly focused on the auto market, that makes it pretty successful.  Of course if you hang around these forums it was doomed for failure. An indication of both petty jealousy & the lack of vision in the radio world. 

It's 2016. You don't wait for "demand" you create it. There was no demand for the iPhone because it didn't exist. There was no demand for much of the technology that's created today.  Programming and development is about fixing problems or improving people's lives.  You see the potential, develop the schema/idea & go forth.  You take a risk & if you're correct you are rewarded handsomely.

But radio treats technology the same way it treated hip hop.  It could never actually swallow that this was the new reality.  While the kids wanted hip hop, the stations played rock music.  When the kids wanted technology, the radio stations thought they should charge for text. 

Yesterday, I watched on CNBC as Facebook vaulted to the fourth most valuable company (by market cap) in the world.  In fact all FOUR of the top companies are in the field of technology.  They all created demand for their products. 

Last edited by Hathaway (February 2, 2016 8:12 AM)

 

February 2, 2016 9:11 AM  #2


Re: HD radio: Sorry it ain't going to work

Agreed, Irvine! It's amazing to me that the media, itself, just doesn't know it. A certain Toronto AM station (the one with 4 hosts and barely surviving on flatline autopilot) has a HD promo advertising itself as on a sidechannel of FreshFM Hamilton. As per usual, the spot spouts absurd claims, including a "caller" yelling about how his life is now complete, disease-free and rich with being able to listen to the dash pounders in vivid sound. Ironic that a last-place station would even bother. But, the realities are it isn't that expensive to float a signal. Pity, they'd be better advised to use that money on better programming.

 

February 2, 2016 10:44 AM  #3


Re: HD radio: Sorry it ain't going to work

"a sidechannel of FreshFM".  

Does some manager at Corus really imagine I'm going to go out & buy a new device for my car or house to hear Fresh FM?  The same dribble I can hear without buying the new tech?  And do they imagine the marginal improved sound quality is going to make me want to dish out another $99 bucks.  

As for those snippets of callers exclaiming how fulfilling their life is because they've "found" said station, I see it as a reminder of how un-creative radio is.  It's no different than "male vs female" contests on morning shows, trips to some resort, or the prize vault.  The people creating radio can't think outside the box, but is anyone surprised given the chatter on these forums?  

I've found that since I've stopped listening to corporate radio, my skin is healthier & I sleep better at night.  Double that when I don't post on these forums.  

     Thread Starter
 

February 2, 2016 1:11 PM  #4


Re: HD radio: Sorry it ain't going to work

Well the ad originates from the same station that uses ridiculous hyperbole and rhetoric in all their spots.

They are famous for plugging a real estate agent that can sell your house faster than you can pass gas. Then he walks on water, curses cancer and defeats ISIL.

That's followed by endless pyramid scheme that require vague promises of riches equal to the Crown Jewels.

What they don't realize is their credibility is grossly at issue.

And then they want me to buy an HD radio to listen to that crap?

 

February 3, 2016 10:16 PM  #5


Re: HD radio: Sorry it ain't going to work

I don't have much to say about AM 640, but in the end the whole digital radio failed because the big radio mafia let it fail.  Now it's a technical "fix" beyond it's time. 

Music fans don't relate finding music with radio & they're the ones that HD radio would appeal to.  They're gone.  They won't come back.  Those who are left are casual fans of music & they're lucky to even know the station their listening too. 

And, unlike radio people seem to believe, they don't "tune in" a station.  They press a button on their car radio.  So during AM or PM drive, they have a half dozen buttons to press when a commercial comes on.

Maybe PPM should just monitor commercials. 

     Thread Starter
 

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