Mark Ramsey: Snickering about HDRadio
Some time back, Dennis Haarsager recommended Mark Ramsey’s writing – it’s excellent, often spot-on. I added Mark’s blog to my RSS reader, as I’m sure many of you did. Dennis is kind of busy these days running some network, I hear, so I thought I’d draw attention to one of Mark’s latest pieces on HD Radio.
This week’s Convergence conference in San Jose was a terrific gathering of broadcasters and their partners who feel radio’s best days might very well lay ahead. No sticks in the mud, these. Rather, folks with brains and vision and a plan, or at least the hopes of developing one.
This was no place for spin doctors and conventional wisdom. So I was not surprised when Kurt Hanson spoke on radio’s future with an emphasis on radio’s inevitable future on the Internet.
Nor was I surprised when Kurt veered left to discuss – and dismiss – HD Radio.
What fascinated me was the reaction.
Any room full of broadcasters is full of HD radio doubters, nowadays. But the vibe in this room was remarkable for the eye-rolling and audible snickering that greeted virtually any mention of HD.
Kurt disassembled HD’s premise by dividing the total number of radios now in circulation by the markets in which those radios live and other relevant assumptions (I did something like this a while back myself). He arrived at the conclusion that the average HD radio advertiser in any given market could reach more prospects by standing at the bottom of their driveway and handing out flyers.
I don’t think this needs any elaboration. Ramsey says it all right there. (But do check out his full post.)
UPDATE: I just remembered that I was cranky about HD Radio once before around these parts.
BigRadio tried to put one over on us. They failed. Why do they persist with their HD jamming ploy? All HD does is jam. People don’t like it when BigRadio jams their favorite stations. They get the idea that BigRadio is acting like a big fat loutish bully who greaszed off a complicit FCC so as to jam listeners into submission and competitors off the air.
American citizens have a sense of fair play. Americans always defend the underdog. Always. And BigRadio behaves like a big fat bully who waddles down the alley in search of underdogs to beat with its noisy HD stick.
Perhaps that’s why the American citizens have told BigRadio to take its big fat HD jamming scheme and get lost. Perhaps that’s why BigRadio’s stocks recently turned into sewer pickles.
So much HD noise. Such a paucity of compelling programming.
And still they wonder why they lost their audience?
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
19 March, 2008
BigRadio tried to put one over on us. They failed. Why do they persist with their HD jamming ploy? All HD does is jam. People don’t like it when BigRadio jams their favorite stations. They get the idea that BigRadio is acting like a big fat loutish bully who greaszed off a complicit FCC so as to jam listeners into submission and competitors off the air.
American citizens have a sense of fair play. Americans always defend the underdog. Always. And BigRadio behaves like a big fat bully who waddles down the alley in search of underdogs to beat with its noisy HD stick.
Perhaps that’s why the American citizens have told BigRadio to take its big fat HD jamming scheme and get lost. Perhaps that’s why BigRadio’s stocks recently turned into sewer pickles.
So much HD noise. Such a paucity of compelling programming.
And still they wonder why they lost their audience?
Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
19 March, 2008