The UK tech site the Register last week published an excellent two-article overview of digital audio from its birth to the post-Napster era, entitled “How digital audio ate itself and the music industry.” In part one writer Bob Dorman covers the first practical digital recorders used in studios. Part two picks up with the first home digital home recorders, such as DAT and minidisc, and digital sampling, taking the story through the modern post-Napster age. It’s a concise summary of the forces that have shaped our modern digital audio and music environment that, somewhat ironically, often finds artists searching to replicate the analog sounds and timbre of the past.

While not strictly related to radio, the question of digital vs. analog looms over broadcast radio as the commercial industry continues to try to push digital HD Radio, as it faces competition from all digital internet and satellite radio. But, as I must point out, with all of these technologies digital does not ever equal better sound quality. The advantage of digital is more often enjoyed by efficiencies the broadcaster can exploit rather than improved fidelity and experience for the listener.

The Microsoft Zune HD

It appears that Microsoft will retain the Zune brand which includes a music store platform accessible on the XBox games system and Windows smartphones. But none of those devices includes HD Radio reception.

While iBiquity, owner of the HD Radio technology, cheered the technology’s inclusion in the Zune, it’s doubtful that any significant number of consumers chose a Zune specifically for its HD Radio. Similarly, I doubt many people bought an iPod Nano because of the radio. I’m certain that a small segment of buyers are won over to a model in order to get a radio, but other features are likely a bigger determinant.

It’s still not yet confirmed if Microsoft is ending production of the Zune HD. The fact that the last model was released in 2009 would indicate that it’s the end of the line for the dedicated Zune hardware. By comparison, Apple revises its iPod models about once a year. Without a hardware update in 2011 it doesn’t seem like Microsoft would have any hope of keeping the Zune competitive. So my guess would be that Microsoft has plenty of the players still in the supply pipeline and hasn’t announced its imminent death so as not to completely spoil the value of that inventory.

In retrospect, 2009 was a relatively big year for HD Radio, seeing the introduction of the Zune HD and the first Insignia portable HD receiver. 2011 has seen very little in the way of new HD Radio products. And while Insignia refreshed its portable HD receiver this year, that is pretty much it in terms of anything new in HD-land aside from car radios.

Frankly, HD Radio is ill-suited to portable devices to begin with, due to the fact that the HD digital signal is broadcast at a fraction of the analog signal’s power in order to keep the digital signal from interfering much more with adjacent stations. Anyone who has listened to a pocket FM radio knows that keeping a clear signal while moving around can be a challenge due to FM’s directionality. You really have to be close to a powerful station in order to maintain uninterrupted audio. With HD the challenge is even greater.

I seriously doubt we’ll see another portable media player or smartphone device that includes an HD Radio receiver. It adds very little value to a device that can already play audio files or access the internet to play streaming audio. There are few HD broadcasts that offer programming that isn’t already available elsewhere on the radio dial or online. Combine that with reception challenges and there’s very little to motivate a manufacturer to include the technology.

One or two models of portable HD Radios–like the Insignias–may stick around as niche items if they move enough units. Beyond that, HD is actually less popular than analog FM, or even shortwave.

Save KTRU continues to fight sale of Rice University station

As we have been reporting over the past several months, KTRU, the student radio station at Rice University, has been fighting a proposed sale to University of Houston that was first announced in August.

Although University of Houston hopes to eventually use the KTRU frequency for a classical public radio station (similar to what has already happened at KUSF), volunteers at KTRU still have control over the college radio station until the deal is approved by the FCC.

The groups Save KTRU and Friends of KTRU has been fighting the sale on a number of fronts, ranging from letter-writing campaigns to officials at Rice and University of Houston, to a strongly-worded Petition to Deny sent to the FCC, to investigative journalism focused on the wheeling and dealing (and subterfuge) of University of Houston, Rice University, and Public Radio Capital.

At this point the decision on the sale rests in the hands of the FCC, but that doesn’t mean that KTRU has given up on its future. Over the weekend, KTRU announced (PDF) that it has signed a deal with Pacifica radio station KPFT in order to continue broadcasting its signal over the Houston airwaves via KPFT’s 90.1 HD2-FM signal for at least 7 years. Although KTRU is still broadcasting over its current frequency of 91.7 FM in Houston; those days may be numbered as it’s possible that the FCC could announce a decision on the station sale at any time.

KTRU’s broadcasts over KPFT’s HD channel are set to begin next Monday, February 14 at 9:01 AM. According to the press release, Rice University will be helping to fund this HD initiative using some of the funds garnered from the sale of KTRU’s broadcast license and tower. In order to get a bit more perspective on this new arrangement and on the status of KTRU, I spoke with KTRU Station Manager Joey Yang.

Jennifer Waits: Any idea when the FCC will rule on UH’s proposed purchase of KTRU?

Joey Yang:  No idea.  We were told 2-6 months from the date of  the case closing, which was in December.  So, it could be tomorrow, it could be in June — we just  don’t know.

Jennifer: How do you feel about the new HD  agreement? Who orchestrated that deal?

Joey: Kelsey Yule, former Station  Manager, Will Robedee, General Manager, and myself, as well as Duane Bradley at KPFT worked together to work out the HD agreement.  We’re excited — it’s  not an acceptable substitute for FM, but we’re excited about the technology and the growing-every day digital radio listener base.

Jennifer: What are the advantages and disadvantages of HD?

Joey: Well for one, KPFT  broadcasts at 100,000 Watts, which is double our FM wattage, so we’re happy about that.  Also, HD radio broadcasts in high-quality digital audio, which gives a much better sound than FM radio.  The obvious disadvantage is that HD radio is still an up-and-coming technology, but that’s changing.  We’re giving out HD radios to our listeners in response to this, and HD radios are shipping in many new car models.

Jennifer: I’m assuming that KTRU continues to operate normally during all of these negotiations/protests/etc. Do you feel that’s been an advantage for you guys?

Joey: Yeah, it’s lent some semblance of  normalcy.  It’s important to keep moving forward, and I’m lucky to have so many loyal and committed DJs to keep us going forward no matter what.

Jennifer: What’s the focus of SAVE KTRU’s efforts right now?

Joey: Save KTRU is still interested in blocking the sale of our NCE [non-commercial educational] FM  license to UH, but our record is currently “closed” at the FCC, meaning that the  FCC has taken in all the relevant information they need, such as our Petition to Deny and the replies to that, as well as the thousands of emails our listeners have sent to them, and they are currently deliberating our case.  So we’re anxiously awaiting their decision.

***

You can find Radio Survivor’s complete coverage of the situation at KTRU here, as well as an interview with former Station Manager Kelsey Yule over on Spinning Indie.

Every day I watched the news reports and press releases from the just-ended 2011 Consumer Electronics Show hoping for some interesting radio news. Instead, what we got was mostly more of the same. You might call it CES 2010 2.0. Aside from the Android-powered car radio that Matthew covered the other day, there was nothing new or innovative offered up in the radio world.

CES 2011 is over, but iBiquity is still pushing CES 2010

Even though the company never updated its website from the 2010 CES, iBuiquity did announce that HD Radio would be standard in 36 car models from 17 brands, which does indicate some stability for the technology. But as far as satellite radio is concerned XM/Sirius only had one announcement on hand, touting a deal with Nissan offering a a three-month intro subscription on dealer-certified pre-owned Nissan and Infiniti cars.

Internet radio primarily built on the smartphone integration model introduced by Pioneer at last year’s CES. Toyota jumped into that fray with its Entune system offering control of not just Pandora, but also Clear Channel’s iheartradio, XM satellite radio and HD Radio. However, this system is just an option on “select vehicles,” which means that in reality only a minority of Toyota buyers will end up with it. Sony and other after-market mobile stereo manufacturers also announced smartphone-connected head units that will control Pandora and other apps.

What we haven’t seen yet is a car stereo with native internet radio capability built-in. While smartphone sales are growing I still doubt that the majority of owners are willing to deal with the hassle of connecting their phones most of the time in order to take advantage of internet radio access. Furthermore, this functionality is mostly offered on optional equipment or after-market items, further limiting the number of car owners likely to use it.

I don’t see mobile internet radio reaching any kind of critical mass–even on par with Sirius/XM–until the experience is completely integrated. That will likely require manufacturers to pair up with mobile broadband carriers similar to how Sirius/XM struck deals with them. But I don’t think such an idea is farfetched, noting how Amazon bundles AT&T 3G service with its Kindle e-readers. Still, it hasn’t happened.

Although the car has always been an important place for radio listening, more than ever it is now the battleground for radio technologies. Major electronics manufacturers seem to be largely ceding the home HD, satellite and internet radio market to niche players.

New radio platforms will succeed or fail in the car based upon their ability to offer a seamless, integrated experience with desirable programming. Sirius/XM has the leg up here with 20 millions subscribers and established relationships with most major auto manufacturers. HD Radio’s principal advantage is that it’s free, but it’s also hampered by far less diverse programming, even taking into account HD2 and HD3 channels. HD also has all sorts of reception problems outside of the strongest signal areas.

Internet radio poses the greatest threat to HD and satellite, but not as long as people have to plug in their smartphones to tune it in.

In the end, I think the dirty little secret is that when it comes to radio in the car, traditional analog broadcast still wins. It’s standard equipment on pretty much every vehicle sold and it’s a feature in pretty much every aftermarket stereo, alongside CD, MP3, satellite, HD or smartphone connectivity. Broadcast is also free, and while we can find many faults with mainstream commercial programming, there is still plenty that attracts millions of listeners every day.

This is not the sort of conclusion that makes news at the Consumer Electronics Show. But that doesn’t make it any less true.

The annual Consumer Electronics Show kicks off this Thursday in Las Vegas. While all the biggest buzz around the show is in anticipation of new tablet competitors for Apple’s iPad, we can still expect to hear announcements of new radio gadgets across the spectrum, from analog broadcast and HD Radio to satellite and internet radio. Some companies have already started with their press releases, while we’re left guessing what will be up in other segments of the industry.

None other than Clear Channel Communications has announced its intent to “have a vital presence” at CES, touting its iheartradio mobile app. The app, which is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7, allows the user to tune in the web streams of 750 Clear Channel-owned terrestrial stations. In addition to a deal for iheartradio to become available in some Toyota vehicles, Clear Channel promises that “numerous vendors” will display “iheartradio-capable” products… whatever that means. I’m not sure I really get the attractiveness of tuning a distant Clear Channel station via the internet in your car when there are likely plenty of stations with nearly the same playlist on the local FM dial. But I guess I’m not the target market.

We should expect plenty of home internet radios to be announced from companies like iHome, which made a name with iPod docking radios, and Grace Digital Audio, which was an early player in standalone radios able to tune in internet audio streams. Also expect more car stereos and add-on kits that make it easier to listen to internet radio on the road via an attached smartphone. Pioneer tried to make a splash at last year’s CES with a car receiver designed to play Pandora streams via an iPhone, integrated so that the driver can control the Pandora channel via the receiver instead of the smartphone. I didn’t hear much more about it once CES was over, though the receiver garnered respectable reviews.

iBiquity is still stuck at CES 2010

On the satellite radio and HD Radio fronts things have been quiet for the pre-show period. I expect we’ll hear about some more factory-installed Sirius and XM capable car radios, especially since a rebounding auto industry this year is something Sirius/XM is depending heavily upon. I’m anticipating something similar from HD Radio, and I won’t be surprised to hear iBiquity–HD Radio’s parent company–trot our their not-so-new deal with Ford again. In fact, it doesn’t seem like iBiquity is even ready for CES this year, since their press release site is still touting a special section to highlight HD Radio at the 2010 CES from twelve months ago. Regardless of HD Radio’s tardiness, it seems as though mobile in-vehicle electronics will be a significant focus of the show, with keynotes from Ford’s CEO and Audi’s chairman of the board.

For us policy geeks there’s a “one-on-one” with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski on Friday afternoon. I’m not sure much of that session will be radio-specific, but he is likely to talk quite a bit about wireless spectrum, which certainly affects internet radio, especially mobile. I wonder if anyone in the industry will take him to task over the Commission’s failure to implement any real network neutrality for mobile broadband. I reckon the electronics industry stands to lose quite a bit if consumers’ wallets are penalized for streaming radio and video on the go.

Unfortunately, the Radio Survivor 2011 budget doesn’t come close to allowing us to send a correspondent to Vegas to cover the show first-hand. Nevertheless, the deluge of press releases this week should provide plenty of grist for the mill. We’ll do our best to chew it up and try to digest what it means for the state of radio in the forthcoming year.

I own and use all of the radios I’m recommending here, so my comments on each one come from actual listening experience.

Killer Kompact for the Traveler

Tuning in local stations when visiting somewhere far from home can be a great way to learn about a place, hearing about what’s going on and tuning in some native culture. While most hotel rooms have some kind of clock radio, I find the quality of reception can be variable, often receiving only the strongest stations. That’s why I usually travel with my own small radio.

My current favorite travel radio is the Kaito WRX 911. Measuring about 4″ wide by 2″ tall and 1″ deep, it’s just a little bigger than an iPod or digital camera. It tunes in not just AM and FM, but also nine shortwave bands. It also has a metal whip antenna which extends and rotates making it much easier to tweak reception.

With such a small speaker the sound quality is nothing incredible, but it’s at least as good as a clock radio. And there’s a headphone jack for when you don’t want to disturb others. However, reception, is where the Kaito shines. I’ve had great luck tuning in low powered college, community and public stations in many cities, in addition to more powerful commercial stations. It won’t work miracles. Its selectivity–the ability to tune in less powerful stations that are next to more powerful ones–isn’t outstanding, but it’s outperformed most small portable radios I’ve ever owned. At just $20 it really can’t be beat.

Both Style and Performance

I lusted after the Tivoli Model One radio the minute it was announced some ten years ago. Its combination of understated good looks and the promise of a simple, but very well designed analog tuner set it apart from the garish plastic boomboxes and compact stereos out there at the time. Designed by the serial audio innovator Henry Kloss, the Tivoli also extracts impressively rich sound out of its relatively compact cabinet.

I bought my Tivoli eight years ago, and it has served as the primary radio in my house for everyday listening. It sounds great for voice, with a very balanced, pleasing tone. Even though it’s mono with just a single full-range music, music sounds nice as well. It’s better suited for background music than critical listening.

Its FM reception is hard to beat, and it will even accept an external antenna if you want to boost reception even more. The Tivoli’s AM reception is very good, but not world-beating for distant signals. However it does a capable job at minimizing interference and noise on the AM band, ensuring the stations you do tune in sound as good as they can.

The Tivoli Model One was so innovative that it sparked a revival in attractive, high-performance table radios. Admittedly, it’s not the cheapest radio out there. But if you told me I could only have one radio, I would not hesitate to choose the Tivoli.

For the HD Ready

When I embarked on my HD Radio journey several months ago I took the leap with the small Sony XDRF1HD HD Radio Tuner. It’s not a standalone radio, but rather a tuner that requires an amp and speakers. Yet it provides FM radio reception–both analog and HD–that rivals tuners costing much, much more.

On the analog side, it picks up both local and distant FM stations better than any radio in my house, except my Tivoli Model One, which it equals. The Sony’s sound quality exhibits the full range of what analog stereo FM is capable of. If you’re not getting satisfying fidelity, it’s more likely due to your amp and speakers, not the tuner.

I can’t really compare its HD performance since I haven’t spent any significant time with another HD radio or tuner. However, I can say that I’m able to tune in the HD channels of every station I should reasonably expect to receive. HD fidelity depends heavily on how much bandwidth the station dedicates to the HD channel. HD-1 channels sound as good as analog, if a touch quieter and noiseless. Many HD-2 channels sound quite pleasing, though not as good as either the analog signal or the HD-1 channel. I suspect that the XDR-F1HD delivers as much fidelity as the source station can offer.

Honestly, HD Radio is not a must-have. However, if you know someone who wants to hear a specific HD channel or just try it out, you can hardly do better for eighty bucks. Even just functioning as an analog tuner it’s a very good performer.

Portable Performance

While I really do love my little Kaito WRX 911, sometimes I’m willing to sacrifice compactness for a little more performance. For this I recommend yet another Tivoli radio, the company’s first portable radio, called the Songbook. This is my newest radio, which I bought just a few months ago so that I could have a radio in the office at work that I could also drag around with me as necessary.

Now, I work inside an early 1970s concrete monstrosity of a building. My office is in the interior and has no windows. Suffice it to say that it’s an extremely hostile environment for radio listening. Nevertheless, the Songbook performs very well, tuning in the stations I want to listen to most frequently. On several occasions colleagues have come into my office while it’s on and been surprised that I’m getting any kind of radio reception, nevermind such a clear signal.

The Songbook is a portable radio, using either battery or AC power, but it’s not especially small. True to its name, the Songbook is about the size of an average hardcover book. It is a very sturdy radio, covered in a rubber-like material that adds to an overall sense of solidity. Not nearly as packable as the Kaito, it’s easy to tote around. If I still owned a house it would be the radio I’d carry around with me while I did yard work.

Unlike its brother the Model One, the Songbook has a digital tuner. Still, it performs very well. However I do occasionally miss the ability to finely tune in a distant signal that is just a little more staticky with the slightly rougher digital tuner. Also like the Model One it’s not a cheap radio, but it is a piece of equipment that will likely outlast many cheaper radios by quite a margin.

So these are my holiday gift recommendations, starting as low as twenty bucks. I think any radio listener would be pleased to find any of these radios giftwrapped with her name on it. Plus, if you buy one using our Amazon links, a few shekels will go to help Radio Survivor keep surviving, at no additional cost to you. These are the gifts that keep on giving.

The Chicago White Sox just signed a new multiyear agreement with CBS Radio station WSCR-AM to broadcast the home team’s games. Normally this isn’t the sort of news we cover here at Radio Survivor, but the unique twist to this contract is that it comes with a all-White-Sox HD channel on WSCR’s sister station, WJMK-FM. Currently WJMK’s HD-2 channel is a simulcast of WSCR’s AM programming. Presumably the new White Sox channel will take over this HD-2 channel, or perhaps WJMK will add an HD-3 channel in order to maintain the WSCR simulcast.

To the best of my knowledge this is the first deal of its kind, giving a single sports team its own dedicated HD channel. Since there’s only so many games to air, the programming will likely have quite a bit of call-in talk programming. According to White Sox vice-president Brooks Boyer,

We want it to be an open forum where fans can talk about the White Sox. It’s not a 24-7 commercial…. It’s a forum for White Sox fans. One of the great things about White Sox fans is they don’t hold anything back.

Of course, call-in talk programming is also very inexpensive to produce.

The station will also air programming covering the Chicago Bull basketball team, which is also owned by White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. However Bulls games are currently aired on the competing ABC-owned ESPN Radio station WMVP-AM and are contracted to stay there through the 2011-12 season.

It’s an interesting idea, and I wonder what the financials looks like. In particular I’m curious if dedicating the HD channel allowed WSCR to pay less cash to the team. That’s because, despite whatever Sox VP Brooks Boyer says, that all-Sox channel will definitely be a lot more like a 24-7 commercial for the team. At the same time, it is an opportunity for CBS Radio to put some original, local programming on its HD channel, rather than a simulcast or MP3 playlist. I would expect that the deal allows CBS to leverage the value of the channel more than it does now.

Still, I doubt this will prompt too many Sox fans to run out and get HD receivers, unless CBS Radio decides not to make the channel available for streaming online. Due to the vagaries of broadcast sports contracts a lot of live game broadcasts are not available online, though this shouldn’t apply to most of the channel’s programming, which won’t be live games. Furthermore, the programming will have to offer something that stands apart from Chicago’s two sports-talk stations to justify fans buying new radios. As I’ve noted before, offering unique and compelling programming on HD-2 and HD-3 channels is an area where the radio industry has mostly been a failure.

WSCR and the White Sox haven’t yet said when the new HD channel will start. It’s a good guess that it will be on the air before spring training begins next year.

Digital radio is experiencing the same sort of problems that FM experienced. In order for receivers to sell at low prices, you need high volume. In order to drive volume sales you need more stations. It’s the chicken and the egg.

Fortunately for iBiquity, consumers, and broadcasters, it all appears to be coming together now, and it took a lot less time than it took FM radio!

Paul Thurst of Engineering Radio recently addressed this package of claims making an exhaustive side-by-side comparison between the state of HD Radio in 2010 and FM radio in 1950. He spares no facts:

…

Read the rest over at Paul’s blog.

Struble said there will be an HD Radio in here somewhere.

Last month I noted how Radio World columnist and HD Radio fan Thomas Ray encountered nothing but trouble when he tried to buy a new Ford with a factory-installed HD radio. Ray’s plight didn’t escape the notice of Bob Struble, the CEO of iBiquity, which owns the HD Radio technology. In a commentary published in the most recent issue of Radio World Struble pretty much begs for patience from Ray and other would-be Ford HD Radio buyers.

Struble explains the difficulty in finding a factory-installed Ford HD Radio as the result of

the growing pains which often occur when companies launch new technologies. Tom hit the lost as factory installed HD Radio receivers were just launching.

When I read that, all I could say to myself was, “really? New technology? Just launching?” The first HD stations went on the air in 2003 and the first car receivers went on sale in 2004. iBiquity’s own timeline claims for January 2008: “Ford to offer factory-installed HD Radio technology in Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury [cars].” So, it’s been six years since HD Radios were available in cars and 32 months since Ford announced factory installed HD receivers. For Pete’s sake, in January 2008 Apple’s original iPhone had been on sale for only six months and now we have the fourth edition of that device. In the tech world 32 months is an eternity. I guess that’s how cutting edge HD Radio is.

What does Bob Struble say the thwarted HD Radio buyer should have done? “[H]old out with his old Explorer for another couple of months” because then, “he would have been able to purchase an Escape with a factory installed HD Radio receiver as these vehicles hit dealerships the first week of August.” That’s like Steve Jobs saying, “just come back to the Apple store in a few weeks to get that iPhone. In the meantime hold on to that old flip phone that drops calls and is too old to text.”

Of course, people will line up outside Apple stores for the new iPhone debut, but that’s because Jobs also has a reputation for delivering highly desirably products…. on time. But, frankly, a radio is just an accessory to a much bigger item… the car. Folks might wait a few weeks to get the vehicle they want, I have a hard time seeing too many buyers waiting to get the right radio, HD or not.

If iBiquity wants to get HD receivers into the cars of more than five percent of buyers the company is going to have to offer something a lot better than excuses and pleas to wait a couple of months. Somehow, I just don’t see that happening.

In terms of statistics, the article notes that there are fewer than a sixth (16%) as many digital AM stations than FM, totaling only about 6% of all AM stations in the US. Furthermore, even amongst the nation’s most powerful big market AM stations that are broadcasting in digital, “most of those transmit their digital signals only during the day.” Tellingly, RW also observes that, “[m]any of the stations on-air with AM HD are owned by members of the HD Digital Radio Alliance.”

The article points to several non-technical factors that might be influencing AM HD’s lack of success. One is the recent FCC decision permitting FM translator repeater stations to be used to rebroadcast AM signals. Another purported cause is the economy (which we can pretty much blame for nearly everything without further explanation). Finally, apparently station groups are waiting for their FM HD signals to start paying off before making further investments on the AM side.

Significantly, it appears that interference issues, including interference with a station’s own primary analog signal, are behind many stations turning off their digital signal. Furthermore, the issue of receivers switching between digital and analog signals when the radio can’t keep locked to the HD data stream is important. On FM the relatively similar fidelity of the analog and digital HD1 channels means that the “blending” between them isn’t particularly noticeable. But on AM the digital and analog programs sound very different, making the blending from one to the other very noticeable and often quite annoying.

Something I didn’t know before is that iBiquity, the owner of the IBOC HD technology, is offering a new “configuration” for AM stations that air mostly talk programming which reduces the digital signal bandwidth in order to reduce interference, heard most prominently on older high performance AM receivers. As a listener, however, I see the bandwidth reduction as a double-edged sword. While it may minimize interference, it also reduces fidelity, which can obviate some of the minimal gains associated with HD technology in the first place.

In a companion piece, Radio World also talked to a number of additional radio engineers not quoted in the first article. While a few, like Clear Channel’s Brett Gilber based in Tulsa, OK, consider the technology a success, others are less sanguine. Harold Beer, who engineers Michigan State University’s WKAR-AM said, “After years of encouraging listeners to get better quality wideband AM radios, we ended up degrading their listening experience with a 5 kHz bandwidth, –35 dB SNR analog signal once we turned on the IBOC digital.”

In the end, whether you read Radio World’s relatively balanced coverage or just listen to AM HD yourself, it’s hard to conclude that this digital medium is anything close to a success. The question is: will the radio industry see fit to throw more cash down the AM HD Radio money pit?