Digital Radio Update – May 20, 2009
May 20, 2009 9:00 AM, By Mark Krieger
Index
- MTG Tests DAB+ Waters in Sweden
- Panama Adopts HD Radio as Digital Standard
- Sirius Shares Terrestrial Pain in Q1
- IBOC by State: Michigan
- Sat Radio in Europe, Asia Getting Fresh Looks
- The New Language of Digital Radio
- Wi-fi Radio Offerings Beefing Up
- NewsMTG Tests DAB+ Waters in Sweden
Modern Times Group (MTG), an international media firm with radio and TV holdings, along with project partners SR and SBS Radio, began on-air testing of a DAB+ multiplex in Stockholm and two other locations in Sweden last week. Teracom, a broadcast service company owned by the Swedish government is reportedly providing technical management of the project.With several commercial stations currently populating their multiplex, MTG says the purpose of the test is to get some real world feedback from about 100 beta-testers of the technology. Although the partners are interested in the potential of DAB+, spokespersons have suggested that a full scale commitment to the technology would require concessions from the Swedish government, such as doubling license periods from four years to eight years, along with subsidies to ease the economic strain of the digital/analog transition period.In an article in Dagans Media, MTG Program Director Christer Modig is quoted as saying that improvements in 3G streaming delivery make it a viable alternative to adoption of DAB+, and that it’s now or never for adopting a dedicated digital broadcast standard.Panama Adopts HD Radio as Digital Standard
The Republic of Panama has declared adoption of IBOC HD Radio as that nation’s official digital radio standard effective immediately.In an official decree, the government noted it selected IBOC technology after the country’s Digital Broadcasting Technical Commission reviewed IBOC, DAB, and DRM.According to pressreference.com, Panama has about 235 AM/FM radio stations nationally, a number of which are low power community FM outlets. The number of radio receivers in that county is estimated to total about 815,000.The Panamanian government also announced it has selected DVB-T as the nation’s new DTV standard.BusinessSirius Shares Terrestrial Pain in Q1
The steady upward momentum of satellite radio’s subscription curve, touted by many as evidence of a rare digital radio success story, has fallen victim to flagging economic conditions, says a May 8 Wall Street Journalreport. For the first time in the history of the U.S. SDARS rollout, the number of new service subscribers in the first quarter of 2009 fell about 400,000 short of the number of sub cancellations for the same period, leaving Sirius/XM with a total of 18.6 million paying customers on April 1.Abysmal new car sales numbers are blamed for the loss.The news is cold comfort to U.S. terrestrial broadcasters, many of whom are also bleeding red ink as they curtail spending on further digital conversions and other facility upgrades.The current total subscriber number for Sirius/XM is significant. The stall comes below the 20 million mark, long held as a benchmark level for achieving real profitability.Sirius/XM officials cited in the WSJ article indicate that their company expects at least one more down quarter as Chrysler and GM negotiate bankruptcy.IBOC Across AmericaIBOC by State: Michigan
Ibiquity has a list of stations with licensed HD Radio technology and notes those on the air now. IBOC by state looks at various states and lists the stations making the transition. There are 62 stations in the Wolverine State broadcasting 92 HD Radio channels.MarketStationHD1 FormatHD2 FormatHD3 FormatOwner Ann ArborWEMU-FM 89.1Jazz/NewsAmericana-Eastern Michigan University Ann ArborWUOM-FM 91.7News/Talk/Info–University of Michigan DetroitWYCD-FM 99.5CountryThe WolfThe Psychic StudioCBS Radio DetroitWDMK-FM 105.9Urban AC–Radio One DetroitWCHB-AM 1200Talk/News–Radio One DetroitWKQI-FM 95.5Top 40New CHR-Clear Channel DetroitWNIC-FM 100.3ACCool-Clear Channel DetroitWDVD-FM 96.3Hot ACAlternative-Citadel DetroitWXYT-FM 97.1SportsRe-News-CBS Radio DetroitWWJ-AM 950News–CBS Radio DetroitWRIF-FM 101.1AORRIFF2-Greater Media DetroitWFDF-AM 910Family Hits–Radio Disney DetroitWRDT-AM 560Religion–Crawford Broadcasting Company DetroitWCSX-FM 94.7Classic RockDeep Trax-Greater Media DetroitWVMV-FM 98.7Smooth Jazz/NACTraditional Jazz-CBS Radio DetroitWOMC-FM 104.3OldiesHistory of Rock & Roll-CBS Radio DetroitWXYT-AM 1270Sports–CBS Radio DetroitWTWR-FM 98.3CHR–Cumulus Media DetroitWMGC-FM 105.1ACMore Magic-Greater Media DetroitWHTD-FM 102.7Urban–Radio One Inc. DetroitWJLB-FM 97.9UrbanClassic Hip Hop-Clear Channel DetroitWMXD-FM 92.3Urban ACHallelujah-Clear Channel DetroitWDTW-FM 106.7CountryMother Trucker-Clear Channel DetroitWDFN-AM 1130Sports–Clear Channel DetroitWEXL-AM 1340Gospel–Crawford Broadcasting Company DetroitWDRQ-FM 93.1Variety HitRhythmic Hits-Citadel DetroitWDET-FM 101.9NPR/NewsMusic Mix-Wayne State University DetroitWMUZ-FM 103.5Christian ContemporaryChristian Praise-Crawford Broadcasting Company FlintWDZZ-FM 92.7Urban AC–Cumulus Media FlintWCRZ-FM 107.9AC–Regent FlintWWBN-FM 101.5Rock–Regent FlintWFUM-FM 91.1News/Talk/Info–University of Michigan FlintWRCL-FM 93.7Urban–Regent Grand RapidsWGVU-FM 88.5Jazz–Grand Valley State University Grand RapidsWGVU-AM 1480News/Talk–Grand Valley State University Grand RapidsWFGR-FM 98.7Oldies–Regent Grand RapidsWMAX-FM 96.1AlternativeRadioRadio-Clear Channel Grand RapidsWLHT-FM 95.7ACWNWZ-AM Mexican-Regent Grand RapidsWTNR-FM 94.5Country–Citadel Grand RapidsWLAV-FM 96.9Classic Rock–Citadel Grand RapidsWBFX-FM 101.3Classic RockMusic Summit-Clear Channel Grand RapidsWTKG-AM 1230News/Talk–Clear Channel Grand RapidsWGRD-FM 97.9Modern Rock–Regent Grand RapidsWVGR-FM 104.1News/Talk/Info–University of Michigan Grand RapidsWHTS-FM 105.3Hot AC–Citadel Grand RapidsWTRV-FM 100.5 Soft AC–Regent Grand RapidsWOOD-FM 105.7ACSmooth Jazz-Clear Channel HartfordWCXT-FM 98.3Hot AC–Mid-West Family Broadcasters KalamazooWMUK-FM 102.1Classical–Western Michigan University Lansing-East LansingWDBM-FM 88.9AOR–Michigan State University Lansing-East LansingWLNZ-FM 89.7AAAOldies-Lansing Community College Lansing-East LansingWKAR-FM 90.5Classical/Folk/Jazz–Michigan State University Lansing-East LansingWKAR-AM 870News/Talk–Michigan State University Lansing-East LansingWITL-FM 100.7Country–Citadel MarquetteWNMU-FM 90.1Classical–Northern Michigan University Mt PleasantWMHW-FM 91.5AlternativeMetal/HipHop/Urban/Indie-Central Michigan University MuskegonWMRR-FM 101.7Classic RockBlues-Clear Channel MuskegonWSNX-FM 104.5CHRClub Phusion-Clear Channel MuskegonWMUS-FM 106.9CountryNew Country-Clear Channel MuskegonWSHZ-FM 107.9Bright ACGroove-Clear Channel St. JosephWIRX-FM 107.1Rock–Mid-West Family Broadcasters Traverse City-PetoskeyWLDR-FM 101.9CountrySmooth Jazz-The VineyardFox SportsHenderson
Eye on IBOCSat Radio in Europe, Asia Getting Fresh Looks
Only a few months ago, the epic bankruptcy of Worldspace Satellite radio made the chance for a viable service in Europe and southern Asia seem remote, particularly in a chilly global economy. Yet recent reports from both continents suggest there may be some green shoots coming up in the sat radio ash heap.Ondas Media, a Madrid-based start-up headed by satellite veteran David Krueger recently announced it has reached an agreement with French automaker Renault for inclusion of OEM receivers for a new cross-European sat radio service his company aims to launch in 2011. The company claims it has similar deals with BMW and Nissan.Ondas isn’t exactly a household name on the sat radio scene. That’s because the company has yet to obtain spectrum OKs for the proposed service. But CEO Krueger notes that his firm participated in drawing up standards for the service in 2007, and now has development agreements with Delphi and Fraunhofer for receivers as well as Loral for orbital platforms. Plans currently call for the new service to operate in L band, as do satellite radio services in North America.Meanwhile, the old Monty Python punch line “I’m not dead yet” has seemingly become the mantra for a reconstituted version of the recently defunct Worldspace. Pieced together from bankruptcy court-auctioned assets and led by its former CEO Noah Samara, the new firm looks to leverage the former firm’s penetration in India into a new pan-India private satellite/terrestrial radio service. Since that goal will require government spectrum allotments that carry domestic ownership mandates, it’s unclear how the U.S.-based firm intends to accomplish its mission. But the fact that India’s economy continues to expand even as most of the world contracts may offer Samara hope that the new World Space can find a willing Indian partner that will bring both national identity and cash to the table.HD Radio TerminologyThe New Language of Digital Radio
MPS: Main Program Service
MPSA: Main Program Service Audio
MPSD: Main Program Service Data
MS1-MS4: FM IBOC secondary service modes 1 through 4
mV/m: millivolts per meter
NIF: nighttime interference-free (contour)
NOP: number of packetsProductsWi-fi Radio Offerings Beefing Up
With more and more Internet radio products finding their way to market, a new entry suggests that the trend may now be shifting from portability to audio quality and utility. VTech’s model IS9181 Wi-fi Internet radio offers users audio with a punch, via 3W stereo speakers and a 10W subwoofer, a departure from more typically diminutive Internet radio platforms.Among the IS9181’s other interesting features are stereo analog line in/out, a built-in Internet radio tuner (though VTech’s host gateway) along with codec compatibility for MP3, WMA, AAC and Real Audio. The system will also allow wireless connection directly to a user’s Windows XP/Vista PC or OS 10.4/10.5 Mac for remote play of audio media. More traditional accoutrements, such as FM analog reception, remote control and clock radio functionality are included as well.Price point on the IS9181 is expected to be $199 MSRP.
