O HD pode vir a ser um bom negócio

A partir do momento em que há centenas de rádio a emitir por HD, abrem-se perspectivas de novos negócios para os novos canais de multicasting. E a Clear Channel, como gigante, não perde tempo: acaba de criar uma nova empresa/solução, a que chama Format Lab para vender formatos alternativos... à concorrência que quer ter um segundo ou terceiro canal. «a new service that will make 75 new channels available to rival radio broadcasters for use in digital radio multicasts, station web sites and other outlets.

Format Lab channels include a variety of genres, such as traditional jazz, bluegrass and classical music. Within the rock category, Clear Channel offers such channels as Dank, a combination of hip-hop and rock; Vinyl Vineyard, intended as a throwback to Album Oriented Rock; and The Gig, featuring nothing but cuts from live albums.

Among other formats included at Format Lab are variations on urban, Christian, Spanish, comedy, country, and gay-themed programming.

"As other companies begin to use the HD side channels, they’re going to need programming help of the sort we can provide with Format Lab," said John Hogan, president and chief executive of Clear Channel Radio, in an interview. "So they will be very interested in what we can provide them."

fonte: Radio Ink, Clear Channel Experiments In The “Format Lab”, 24/04/06

Nem por acaso: «The member stations of the HD Digital Radio Alliance are rolling out HD2 channels in an additional 22 markets, bringing the total number of markets in which stations are multicasting their digital signal to 50 markets. This is the second wave of multicast formats to be announced; the first 25 markets were unveiled earlier this year. HD2 multicasts will now be available in 50 markets (including 42 of the top 50) -- more than six months ahead of schedule, says the alliance. The number of new radio stations created under the initiative now tops 450»