They’ll run away screaming “NOOOOOOOO!” to this notion:
Canada’s plan “B” might include iBiquity.
(as reported by Inside Radio)
Let’s just hope that this is more of iBiquity’s wishful thinking, which is often presented as actual important news being based in fact. By iBiquity.
Why does the CRTC need a plan B anyway? Is it not enough that Eureka 147 failed mainly due to a lack of public interest? If it was something that was commercially viable, wouldn’t it have taken off on its own? Now they are thinking of ruining the FM broadcast band, which, in my experience in Canada, is working perfectly fine.
Who says “digital” is better? If anything, what has been discovered in this country is when it comes to HD radio, digital is worse. Thus far, HD radio has the following going for it:
- Proprietary system with expensive licensing fees
- Complicated infrastructure
- Insufficient building penetration
- Poor performance in mobile reception environments
- Lack of original programming
- Adjacent channel interference
- Poor receiver sales
- Lack of general interest and/or knowledge by the public
All of these things have been well documented. If you work for the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) and are thinking about this, contact me. I’ll even invite you down for a drive around and you can experience HD radio, in all its glory, firsthand.