The Broadcaster Traffic Consortium is growing, adding more markets and stations to its stable.
BTC member stations use their FM analog and HD Radio signals to distribute local traffic, weather, fuel prices and other map-related data for Here, a Nokia business. The data is delivered to Nokia navigation devices and in-dash systems.
Univision, the noncommercial University of Michigan Radio and KCBX(FM), in San Luis Obispo, Calif., have joined the BTC.
New markets for BTC are: Ann Arbor and Flint, Mich.; Trenton and Morristown, N.J.; Manchester, N.H.; and Gainesville-Ocala, Fla. New BTC California markets are: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Temecula and Monterey/Salinas/Santa Cruz. The consortium says it currently has no competition in nine of the 10 new markets.
The growth comes as iBiquity Digital recently announced that Honda will be using HD Radio Data real-time traffic with the BTC.
All told, the BTC now exceeds 100 coverage markets of coverage in the United States, and counts 23 broadcasters as members, including CBS Radio, Entercom, Cumulus, Radio One, Greater Media, NPR, Emmis, Cox and Hubbard. Both large and small broadcasters are part of the consortium, which was founded in 2007 with eight broadcast groups.
BTC President and Emmis Communications CTO Paul Brenner says the consortium’s growth shows that “FM and HD Radio can win lucrative telematics business normally won by satellite or mobile broadband when we perform uniformly.”
