Broadcast Law Blog

In a proposal filed by many of the nation's largest radio broadcasters, a request was made that the FCC allow FM stations operating with the HD Radio (or "IBOC system" - for "In Band On Channel" as the digital signal is transmitted on the same channel as the current analog signal) to increase power by up to 10 dbu, which is said to be less than 10% of a station's authorized analog power.  The proposal cites the power increase as one that, in most cases, can be made without interference to adjacent channel stations.  In certain instances, particularly those of grandfathered short-spaced stations, only certain lesser power increases would be permitted under this proposal.  The proponents contend that the increased power will help stations replicate their analog service and increase building penetration so that the service can be received inside large office buildings and even in parking garages.  The proponents submit engineering studies that support their position.

I have worded this post very cautiously.  We write about many significant and controversial issues on this blog - e.g. indecency, music royalties, multiple ownership rules - but the most animated responses we usually receive is when a post deals with HD Radio.  While we have written about many broadcasters who have adopted the HD radio system and are using the multicast ability to bring new services to their communities, we recognize that there are many critics of the programming on HD Radio, or the design of the tuning functions on the radio, or for the lack of the consumer "value proposition" for the purchase of a new radio required to receive the digital transmissions.  However, we have found that there are also many who feel vehemently that there are engineering issues with the service.  So we post this notice of the FCC filing, and look forward to the response that we will receive.

"NAB to Seek FCC Approval of Major IBOC Power Boost"

"For some broadcasters, however, the fact that the NAB has apparently signed on to the recommendation without first revealing details of this rather secretive study to its general membership is both striking and troubling."

http://tinyurl.com/39foj9

"FM IBOC Power Increase Sought"

"As I suspected, this request is 'piggybacked' on Docket 99-325, it is not a new Petition for Rulemaking. You see, they want to eliminate the opportunity for public comment and just push it through. Note that this request includes Appendix A (the long list of owned FM radio stations, demonstrating how high and mighty these companies are) but where are all of the referenced test reports that were supposed to be included in Appendix B and C? I would kinda like to read them. A-Ha! Footnote 5 explains that the test reports are being submitted directly to the FCC by iBiquity and CBS, Inc. Sneaky!"

http://tinyurl.com/4vrrl6

I'de like to see iBiquity/HD Alliance/NAB explain these behind-the-back dealings. No doubt, for the few HD stations that can afford total HD hardware replacement for the proposed 10db power increase, any engineer knows that this will cause massive interference. But, I guess that the smaller community broadcasters are expendable.

Note that those engineering statements, with the test results that Greg cites in his comments, are available in the FCC ECFS database. A link to the CBS report on the test results is available through the link in the original post above.

AM HD is a complete mess in certain sections of the country covering many stations adjacent to HD stations with noise generated by the HD station itself against the FCC's own rule against harmful interference and less than 5% of the AM stations are broadcasting in IBOC at night. If this ridiculous proposal is allowed to go through as it probably will with this pro-big business FCC, the FM band will soon be as big if not a bigger mess than the AM band is. HD or IBOC as it is properly known is a lead balloon with virtually no stores stocking them and if they do happen to have one collecting dust somewhere in the store the salespeople usually advise against them, trying to steer you in the direction of either satellite radio or analog as both have much better receiver ranges and sound pretty much the same although the analog sounds better to my ears. I frequently check the big box stores around my area for HD receivers: Best Buy, Circuit City, Walmart, Radio Shack, etc. These are the places that are advertised on HD websites as being places you can buy HD radios, I have seen only three radios, one table top and two car radios, yes only 3 in one year in all of these places and only one of the three actually picked up some HD signals, this was a top rated HD radio and was less than one mile from an HD transmitter and about 5 miles from downtown Boston. I could only get one HD-2 signal on this radio which is touted as being among the best. HD is a loser and is being pushed down the consumers throats whether we like it or not and the biggest reaction from the consumer has been utter apathy. It has been said (By HD proponents themselves) that there were about 400,000 HD receivers sold last year and many less the year before, that means that there is about one HD receiver for every 10,000 people in the US, yes, about 40 people own HD receivers in Boston MA. if averaged out. There are 800 MILLION or 800,000,000 analog radios here in the US. Time to shut this insult to our collective intelligence down, it is the biggest bomb to ever hit radio and is ruining analog reception for millions of people for the 40 people who wasted their money on IBOC receivers in some places, if this is pushed much longer and especially if this ridiculous 10% increase is allowed it will eventually be the end of terrestrial radio. Content is the problem, not sound, FM sounds great the way it is and AM could easily sound as good.

Bob Young
Millbury, MA

Jamming defines HD Radio. Listeners rejected it. HD retail sales are nil, to put it kindly, despite HD promoters' relentless misleadings. Younger listeners are rampantly apathetic to HD and virtually all listeners note that HD jamming limits choices to a few stations run by absentee big radio conglomerates.

Despite this, BigRadio demands more power. Do they realize power isn't the problem, that the problem is HD jamming compounded by promoters' endless emetic denials of it?

If BigRadio wants to jam competitors to ruin, make us discard billions of radios worth trillions of dollars and buy HD sets requiring periodic software upgrades - does this sound like a perpetual revenue scheme? - why not admit it? The HD gang now speaks openly of 'Controlled Access' and encryption - translation: You pay to listen - how much more obvious can they be?

Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
28 June, 2008