HD Radio (continued)

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HD Radio (continued)

Well it's a big day for HD Radio.

First, the Wall Street Journal runs a front page story in the Personal Journal section called Radio Goes Digital.

Then Howard Stern announces he's leaving Infinity to go to Sirius.

I believe these two events will be looked back on as the moment in time that radio started to reinvent itself.

As the WSJ article points out, the radio industry is finally converting stations to digital. 140 stations are on the air with a digital signal today. Over 400 have signed up to convert shortly. And Clear Chanel, Cox, and Entercom have all announced their intentions to convert most of their stations by the end of 2008.

So radio will have a new platform, a digital platform, that will drive innovation in radios (both traditional and software based), programming, and new data services that will be delivered over the air.

But what about Stern moving to satellite? Doesn't that mean that the best programming will be available on satellite from now on? I don't think so. Just like the quality of cable programming (think HBO) forces the networks to improve, the quality of satellite programming will force terrestrial broadcasters to improve. Competition ensues. Everyone wins. Radio gets a lot better.

I don't agree with Jeff. This is not "last nail in the coffin of broadcast [radio]". That's like saying that cable was the last nail in the coffin of broadcast television. Digital techology combined with unfettered competition brings out the best in all mediums and it will do the same with radio.

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» Radio, Radio from Tom Watson
Look, I'm not a Howard Stern guy. I find him only occasionally funny, mostly crude and often annoying; and his obsessions with porn have become boring and predictable. I also like higher-quality guests. I'm an Imus guy, if you must [Read More]

Tracked on Oct 6, 2004 9:23:23 PM

Tracked on Oct 7, 2004 3:53:09 PM

Posted October 6, 2004 in Venture Capital and Technology

Comments

The full statement was that I believe this is the "last nail in the coffin of broadcast as the central medium in America. And the FCC hammered it in."
There'll always be broadcast (though I joke that with ubiquitious broadband connectivity and iPods, we might as well tear down the towers soon). But what I'm saying is that it will no longer be central to media; it will no longer control media; it will see its audience sliced and diced to death.
Broadcast will become 'none of the above.' It will be the last gasp of mass in a world of niches. Audience and advertisers will adjust to and flourish in a niche world; broadcast will be like the old, reliable brand of soap you still use but don't really care about.

Posted by: Jeff Jarvis | Oct 6, 2004 2:13:14 PM

I think that we ARE seing the end of 'broadcast' as a medium. I see no evidence that cable programming has improved the networks programming, all I see is the networks cutting cost with bad reality programming and churning out the same format over and over (CSI:CLEVELAND). Until the FCC starts to practice what the constitution preaches, the future is subscription.

Posted by: jackson | Oct 6, 2004 4:19:14 PM

I would say that, with the exception of some sports programming, cable has sounded a death knell for broadcast television...Even cheesy cable channels like USA have overall better programming than the broadcast networks. Premium cable channels have dramatically better programming. Heck, FX has better programming. As one network exec put it a while ago, broadcast is becoming the lowest common denominator of television. Soon, the major audience for the networks is going to be limited to those who are still to poor to afford cable or satellite...Now, I grant you, this group got bigger over the last 4 years, but it will eventually correct itself...

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