The reader has an interesting view on the move to digital radio.
Recently 21 broadcast corporations endorsed their investment in their joint venture partnership of HD radio stating that some 2500 stations will, in coming years, add HD to their domain. To their credit, they saved themselves the royalty fee, which originally was 25K per box. Who knows what it will be to those of us who will wait for the wave of hysteria to rise to tsumani-like levels before burning our analog site for the insurance to cover the fees and raise the stock of our competitors for their coming out party last week. Given the added push of crunching the AM channel to 5Khz courtesy of CCU's sound guru, Mr. Littlejohn, one wonders just what the next 10 years will be like as the public is awed by Dolby 5.1 surround getting into the HD mix.
I announce that I just signed a multiyear lawn care contract, bought several antique analog radios, sold my last GM truck for a Ford with one of those dinosaur AM radios that sounds better than most FM sets before they too are swallowed by the grandeur of corporate radio in its finest hours. I added sat radio to my motor home so I could suffer along with the other deafened radio jet sets the flutter and digital flange of my favorite talk show hosts with no fear of night interference, splatter, fade outs or any of those awful things that sent listeners to home satellite TV shows or to the audience seating for Jerry Springer. At the next NAB show I hope to have my own lawn and garden show- teaching analog laggers like myself how to exit this industry with grace and land on two feet with clippers that don't distort and other lawn practical devices not subject to legislative controversy or forced elimination for some time to come.
And to those who have ears to hear, enjoy the time that remaineth as the new era is but a few million dollars away. For those who can study, try listening to the new 5Khz stations at night and note how they are getting clobbered by carrier noise and basic atmospheric activity. But that is ignored for the sake of the call.
I don't really expect you to publish this comment-too much Jerry Smith stuff already. But it certainly is the truth as it was in 1984 and 1991 when these same folks bowed to Motorola for AM stereo minus the cash and common funding that has the idea alive and kicking. Had they left AM analog alone I would have been fine except for the legal haggles when adjacent FMs and AMs get clobbered by the digital stuff and have to go to court to stop on a case-by-case basis. But now that they are calling this system CD-LIKE and noise-pop-click-and static free, the condom has burst and long before a risk of contact.
Jerry Smith,
broadcast technical consultant,
Jacksonville, FL
Are you reading this from a forwarded email?
