Here’s what a reliable source told me:
Did you know that, in order to avoid interference, all AM HD stations will have to revert back to analog at sundown?
(See the third bullet-point here)
That means it’s AM business-at-usual after dusk.
So picture this…
The first listener buys the first HD radio in LA thrilled to hear KFI in crystal-clear digital sound.
She slogs through LA rush-hour traffic to get her new radio home, places it gently on the table, and flips the switch, only to hear…
The exact same sound quality she heard when she was driving home listening to KFI on an old-fashioned – free – radio.
Will this listener feel robbed? Will she feel ripped-off? Will she feel fooled? Will she blame the radio station that pitched her on HD Radio to begin with?
What do YOU think?
This is yet another of those little inconvenient facts that stands to confuse and turn-off potential customers for HD. It’s another reflection of the virtual absence of marketing thought our industry has given this technology, even as we spend countless millions trying to upgrade to it.
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