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“Parking Lot Radio” Is a No-Go

Radio Design Group won’t proceed with the initiative

Radio Design Group won’t be introducing a low-power AM transmitter for “Parking Lot Radio” after all.

Jim Hendershot

“After careful consideration of the general market, supply chain and logistics issues, as well as FCC licensing costs, it has been deemed that we will be unable to proceed with the production of Parking Lot Radio,” President Jim Hendershot told customers in an email.

Radio World had reported on this planned launch in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic generated a lot of interest in how churches and other organizations could legally broadcast to relatively small areas on AM or FM radio.

Hendershot said in 2020, “Many churches have gone to online broadcasting, but many of the folks at this church are older with limited or no internet capability. The thought of a drive-in church appealed to the congregation, and so they were looking for a transmitter solution to send audio to car radios.” 

The unit was come with a wire antenna but could also be attached to a whip; the company was hoping to sell it at a price point in the hundreds of dollars.

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Hendershot now tells Radio World that the costs would have required a retail price too high relative to the market.

“It was not a decision we made lightly, because we really believe the product would set a new standard. But at a price over twice what the next lower competitor is at, we just couldn’t see it working. Add to that the supply chain issues — and there are many — and it just became infeasible.”

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