Ludwig Enterprises intends to use digital television signals to transmit up to 50 digital audio channels in each of its market areas. It’s an effort to deploy what it says is the first national ethnic radio network.
Ludwig Enterprises is a publicly traded company based in Pompano Beach, Fla. The company says its new radio, TheOne Radio, uses an available portion of the data stream of the newly issued ATSC digital television signals for broadcasting up to 50 new digital radio channels in each of Ludwig’s geographical market areas. The radios receive 50 channels of specialized audio with programming targeted to ethnic, senior citizens and youth “currently underserved by commercial broadcasters.”
“Ludwig will be all digital, all the time, in all locations, rivaling the quality existent on HD or satellite radio,” states the company; it says its main rival is subscription-based satellite radio. “The One” programming will be advertiser-supported. Ludwidg also plans to make money off of program syndication.
You’d need to buy the radio to hear the programming. Price was not announced, though the company said it would be “modest.”
The radio will be equipped with a “GPS-like” module and data transmitter. The radio will report daily to Ludwig the channels and advertisements listened to by each radio receiver in 15 minute sampling intervals. Ludwig will provide that information to advertisers; it signed a licensing agreement with Servicio Digital SA to use Servicio’s Target Marketing Broadcast technology allowing advertisers to broadcast their message to a targeted ethnic or senior citizen group in their native language.
Ludwig hasn’t said when it would launch.
