NRSC Approves Digital Radio Standard

The National Radio Systems Committee has approved an IBOC digital radio broadcasting standard for the United States.
The NAB, which co-sponsors the standards-setting body with the Consumer Electronics Association, said the NRSC-5 standard “will pave the way for the radio industry to accelerate its transition to digital broadcasting.”
NRSC-5 was approved by the group at its meeting Saturday here in Las Vegas. The standard is widely expected to be used by the FCC as it creates final rules for U.S. digital terrestrial radio.
NRSC Chairman Charlie Morgan, DAB Subcommittee Chair Milford Smith and IBOC Standards Development Working Group Chair Paul Feinberg issued statements praising the development.
The approval represents a victory that was more than a decade in the making for IBOC proponents including Ibiquity Digital Corp., whose technology is specified in the standard. The FCC has given broadcasters interim permission to implement the HD Radio system.