Re: [Swprograms] HD radio audio delay problems...

[jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

It's still early days, so I suppose that any criticism/observations 
should be couched in that knowledge, but...

At least in my market (Albany-Schenectady-Troy NY, approximately 57th 
in size nationally), the alternative offerings on the digital 
multichannels are meager, largely repetitious and seemingly not well 
thought out or designed.  The public radio station (WAMC) hasn't even 
got its second channel stable as it drops out about every 30 seconds.  
I called the station's engineer about this and he admitted as much and 
left me with the impression that getting it fixed was far from his 
highest priority.

Most FM stations here don't even use RDS at all, let alone use it 
intelligently by providing a stream of updated and timely information 
(such as song titles or weather or traffic).  The few second digital 
channels in operation provide a sort of automated ancillary service 
with no human presence.  For example, if the main channel is 
alternative rock, the second channel is adult alternative.  Big deal; 
certainly not enough to send me out to buy a $200 radio to access it.

Perhaps this comes with being the 57th market; but for my money the 
policy decision to allow corporate interests to own and operate 
multiple stations in the same marke--and have that multiple presence 
in each marke--has been an unmitigated disaster.  Perhaps the solution 
lies with demanding more of them as condition for the renewal of their 
licenses.  But--with commercial stations at least--the current regime 
is not working, either for listeners or investors.

John Figliozzi
Halfmoon, NY

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard Cuff <rdcuff@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 8:45 am
Subject: Re: [Swprograms] HD radio audio delay problems...
To: Shortwave programming discussion <swprograms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

> Some do.  A Clear Channel AM station up here (WAEB, I think) runs an
> automated Oldies format on its HD2 stream; .  Clear Channel produces
> literally hundreds of packaged formats that can be blended in with
> automated local content (news, traffic, continuity, weather [such as
> it is]) as desired.
> 
> See 
> 
http://www.infinitedial.com/2007/02/more_care_and_feeding_than_som_1.ph
p-- this is an interesting blog in the space.
> 
> Richard
> 
> Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA
> 
> On 10/23/07, Joe Buch <josephbuch@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> >
> > I have been away from developments in this area recently.  You
> > obviously have an advantage on me in that you have an HD receiver.
> > WHYY-FM and WETA-FM are both public radio stations.  Maybe FCC has
> > given them authority to run separate programs in order to raise 
more
> > public funding and offload the need for government subsidy.  I 
> wonder> if any commercial stations have separate programs?
> >
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