HFU HF Underground
General Category => Huh? => Topic started by: ThaDood on August 27, 2020, 1835 UTC
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Ya know... I can tell that I'm getting old, since now I'm bitching more about things that might possibly make sense, but won't happen. Case in point? When the Sony Walkman's were introduced in 1979, they were pretty damned expensive. However, radio stations did walkman give-aways in the early 1980's. And, I remember in 1982 a station doing a "$1,000 Stereo Component System Give-Away!". I also remember car stereo system give-aways. Then, when CD Players came out, there were stations that did give-aways of CD players and CD's themselves. They actually did the CD thing until the early 2000's as well as DVD's and Blue Ray. But, does anyone ever remember an AM Stereo station promoting AM Stereo capable receivers to gave away? Yeah... Neither do I. Fast Forward to +30 years later. There are several stations that are IBOC for HD Radio. Most of them are struggling, and most listeners are either listening on-line, or to that station's analog counter part. But, just how many of these stations are actually promoting the HD Radio receivers that can receive the HD Radio signal? (Uh-huh... Crickets.) Station managers!!! Have a clue!!! If stations are willing to do the expense to push a digital medium, then go all the way. Promote and do contest give-aways of HD Radios. There... That's my latest bitch and passing thoughts on the subjects.
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CNET flop #13
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Well, at least the Segway got Hollywood exposer in various movies and TV shows. Anyway, I have been corrected in AM Stereo radios promotion. Apparently, a station in New England did give-aways to Sony AM Stereo Walkmans. (They certainly did not do that where I was living at the time.) The point is, promoting a new broadcast digital format will at least give the average, casual, listener an idea that there are actually radios that can receive this HD Radio thing. Despite what we may think about the method of this digital broadcasting format, having the public schooled on this format appears to be a bit of a disconnect. I've mentioned before that this was 'My bitch', but it's more like an observation of the whole thing.
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Here's my idea, if you are a station running HD, why not partner with a company that makes HD radios, to advertise them and have some give aways.
The only time I hear a station mention HD is on their hourly ID;s, and it's done so fast that you can't understand it, like a disclaimer for medication.
With HD I'd tell those radio stations, "go all the way or go home." Radio stations used to be so active in promoting their stations and competing with other broadcasters to be the best, what's happened to that spirit? Every break has heavy promotion of a network's streaming app. I can see that's with Covid, they have nothing else to run, but I've heard breaks that are all promos for streaming shows!
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IBOC on AM is, sadly, mostly used to create intentional interference to competing, adjacent-channel, out-of-market stations. I've talked to more than a couple engineers who would just as soon shut it off, but management fights to keep it on, for the reason stated. Getting AM ratings is an all-out war nowdays. Perhaps if they offered something different and interesting to capture listeners, that would help, but that requires far more talent and money than typical penny-ante corporate types are willing to pony up.
FM... most are simply using HD subchannels as studio-transmitter links. A handful actively program them, but they all know market penetration is nil, and outside of major markets, will never garner any kind of meaningful ratings. The few that do, are basically broadcasting former popular programming from stations that were flipped to other formats.
A few companies simply cannot leave something that works well intact, whether it tanks the ratings or not. There are an incredible amount if idiots in radio management, working for companies who cannot afford to spend anything because all the money is flowing to stockholders, massive debt and operating costs. The fact so few HD radios are in the wild is compounded by the fact most people cannot be bothered to figure out how to use them if they *do* own one.
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Perhaps if they offered something different and interesting to capture listeners, that would help, but that requires far more talent and money than typical penny-ante corporate types are willing to pony up.
Amplitude modulation is fine and the main problem is programming. Changing the modulation isn't going to fix boring/stupid programming.
Also getting rid of RFI on the MW band would help as well. But there seems little to no desire to do it. Sure it will be difficult with the zillions of cheap electronics floating around, but need to start fixing it in order for it to eventually be fixed.