«(...) is this the year that HD Radio will take off in the United States? Because the U.S. radio spectrum is crowded and certain parts of it are reserved for the military, HD Radio piggybacks digital signals onto existing analog AM or FM signals rather than transmitting them over a different part of the spectrum, as is the case in the United Kingdom. But in both countries, digital radio technology delivers better sound quality than analog radio, and offers more variety and a host of special features. And, unlike satellite radio, there are no subscription fees, only the cost of buying a digital receiver. In the United Kingdom, more than 4.7 million digital radios have been sold since 1999. Listeners browse station listings in an electronic program guide, pause and rewind content as it's broadcast, bookmark specific programs or songs, and record them using postage-stamp-size memory cards. And starting in May, they can buy songs as they hear them on the radio, downloading them to computers, digital receivers or cell phones. "Consumers are no longer interested in a box that spits out content on a certain schedule," says Simon Cole, CEO of UBC Media, a U.K. company that provides technology services to radio stations. "Digital radio is delivering features that excite listeners." But in the United States? Not so much. Slightly more than 1,000 U.S. stations now broadcast in HD Radio, according to iBiquity Digital, the company that created the technology behind digital radio in the United States. But none yet offer the features available in the United Kingdom. Instead, they use the additional frequencies HD Radio technology provides to offer new channels of content called "multicasts." Top 40 station WNKS, for example, simulcasts its main analog signal on one of its HD Radio frequencies, and multicasts a Christian format on the other. "Multicasting is HD Radio's initial value proposition, but it's just a first step," says iBiquity CEO Bob Struble. Struble envisions HD Radio eventually delivering scrolling-text news and traffic updates, integrating with car navigation systems, and offering on-demand song downloads. And the new partnership between Clear Channel and Microsoft will create a national data service called MSN Direct HD that delivers localized, personalized content to home and car HD Radio receivers. HD Radio receiver sales reached the "low hundred thousands" in 2006, a significant jump from 2005, but miniscule next to XM's and Sirius' more than 13.5 million satellite radio subscribers. Part of the reason is political. While the U.K. government -- which controls much of the country's broadcasting industry -- was able to influence a national shift to digital, for-profit U.S. broadcasters were hesitant to embrace the unproven and expensive technology until satellite radio emerged as a competitive threat. (IBiquity estimates it costs $80,000 to $100,000 to upgrade a radio station to HD Radio.) (...) Cole has watched digital radio take off in the United Kingdom, and believes it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens in the United States. "Three years ago I walked into (London department store) John Lewis and watched consumers completely ignore the tiny selection of digital radios for sale," he recalls. "This year I walked in, and couldn't find an analog radio. Digital was all they offered."»
fonte: Wired News, «Will Digital Radio Boom in U.S.?», Dave Demerjian, Jan, 18, 2007
Mas os estudos dizem que o interesse cresce:
«In June 2006, Bridge Ratings conducted a study of radio consumers to gauge their awareness of, and interest in. HD Radio. At that time, 62% of the sample were aware of the term "HD Radio." In their just-released study, that number has increased to 72%.
Awareness of the new, HD medium has increased significantly in all quadrants. The overall number is higher when the month of December only is taken into consideration when 80% of those questioned had heard of HD Radio. A positive sign that the industry's marketing efforts to raise awareness have worked. (...) Conclusions: Improved product reviews of HD radio will aid positive brand awareness and interest, while the marketing of HD Radio by the radio industry must greatly improved. While overall awareness of the term "HD Radio" has increased in the last year, there is considerable confusion, misinformation or total lack of understanding as to what HD Radio is or what its benefits are to the consumer. This, they feel, is one of the greatest challenges to the growth of HD Radio.
The complete study results are available at: http://www.bridgeratings.com under “What’s New.”» (fonte: Radio Ink, «Bridge Ratings Updates HD Radio Projections», 18/01/07)
