Consumer Electronics Association President/CEO Gary Shapiro challenged broadcasters to “remove your shackles and stand up for your rights” as he keynoted the Broadcast Engineering Conference at NAB2004. He was referring to the current indecency and digital rights debates. “I do not see broadcasters opposing steep fines for indecency. I’m told broadcasters are waiting to challenge it in the courts,” a risky tactic, he said.
Higher fines for indecency will likely drive more outlandish performers to subscription satellite radio, he said. Within one year of Howard Stern going to digital radio, he predicted the satcasters would gain more than 1 million listeners.
Broadcasters need to embrace and promote HD Radio, he said. “Radio has a small window of opportunity to do this. Ibiquity has a business model that will work,” he said.
“Digital is coming, but complacency could be your swan song,” said Shapiro.
CEA’s Shapiro Prods Broadcasters on HD Radio, First Amendment
CEA's Shapiro Prods Broadcasters on HD Radio, First Amendment
