NAB And Ibiquity Team Up To Upgrade Radio Stations
The National Association of Broadcasters, Ibiquity, and four major broadcast equipment manufacturers are all working together to try to make it easier and more budget friendly for radio stations to upgrade to HD Radio. The team intends to make the upgraded technology available to station owners at the NAB Radio Show in Las Vegas.
Bigger terrestrial radio ownership groups led the charge in getting HD Radio exposure and launched. This latest move targets medium and smaller stations to follow suit. HD Radio now has over 1,600 channels broadcasting.
The challenge for HD radio now is to get consumer acceptance, and installations into the automobile channel. Ibiquity has been lobbying the FCC to have HD technology incorporated into SDARS receivers capable of getting traditional AM and FM signals. Such a move, if implemented as a concession for the SDARS merger would enable broad based installations into cars, and circumvent the need for Ibiquity to negotiate with the major automotive brands.
NAB PRESS RELEASE
NAB AND PARTNERS UNVEIL RESULTS OF PROJECT TO LOWER HD RADIO UPGRADE COSTS FOR STATIONS
– ‘Embedded Exporter’ technology unveiled at the NAB Show —
LAS VEGAS — The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) today unveiled the results of an unprecedented partnership with iBiquity Digital Corporation and four broadcast equipment manufacturers to accelerate the commercial development of products based on next-generation HD Radio “Exporter” technology. The products, which significantly reduce a radio station’s cost to upgrade to HD Radio, are being introduced and made available for purchase during the NAB Show in Las Vegas.
“NAB is playing a critical role in the creation of new technologies to benefit our members and promote the future of broadcasting,” said NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr. “This is just one example of how we’re fulfilling our advocacy promise to broadcasters.”
HD Radio stations use the Exporter to combine multicast audio channels and advanced data services along with a station’s main audio channel into a format suitable for transmission. NAB and iBiquity, the developer of HD Radio digital broadcasting, worked with four manufacturers — BE, Continental, Harris and Nautel — to accelerate the development and implementation of this next-generation technology. Known as an “Embedded Exporter,” the technology further reduces the size and cost of HD Radio transmission facilities.
The project began in 2006, and the newly formed NAB HD Radio Technology Advancement Task Force was charged with overseeing the effort, culminating in today’s announcement.
Task Force Chair and Beasley Broadcast Group Executive Vice President and CFO Caroline Beasley said, “NAB is putting its money where its mouth is when encouraging stations to broadcast in digital. This new technology will give a big boost to the advancement of HD Radio, which ultimately means more choices and better sound quality for our listeners.”
Because of NAB’s contribution to this effort, NAB members receive an additional discount on these already cost-reduced products. All four manufacturers are displaying, and offering for sale, products incorporating Embedded Exporter technology at the 2008 NAB Show.
Position - Long Sirius, Long XM
Sirius Buzz has learned that Slacker has now inked deals with some of the biggest movers and shakers in the music publishing world. The deals, which have been in the works for some time, enable a full integration between the Slacker Internet radio service and the Slacker portables.
One can not help but wonder. The day after the Department of Justice gives the green light to the merger of Sirius and XM, Bain Capital and Clear Channel part ways. According to the press, the deal collapsed because the parties could not come to financing terms. However, could it be possible that Bain, the buyer, was stalling the process all along to see the outcome of the merger of Sirius and XM?
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On the front page of Yahoo, they often give little tid-bits of information that show what is popular among Yahoo users. The section, called the PULSE toady gave the popular cell phones, and they all have something in common. They are all phones that are blurring the line between cellular and audio entertainment.
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The Apple iPhone is an impressive device to say the least. Users have enjoyed a myriad of capabilities with the iPhone which has blurred the line between telephones, and entertainment devices. Now, Apple has announced that the iPhone will be capable of interacting with Microsoft Exchange.
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