Broadcasters Petition FCC to Boost Digital Radio Signals

A large collection of commercial and non-commercial radio broadcasters is petitioning the Federal Communications Commission in support of a proposed power increase for digital FM HD Radio broadcasts across the country.

"As HD Radio technology moves further toward the mainstream, it's crucial that we continue to add new features and enhance the technology's basic capabilities," says iBiquity Digital representative Michele Clarke. iBiquity is the developer and licenser of HD Radio technology. "Working with the broadcast industry and equipment makers, iBiquity Digital has completed extensive testing on higher-power FM HD Radio broadcasts and the results are clear. Increasing from one percent to 10 percent of analog broadcast power greatly improves digital performance without meaningfully increasing interference."

With the filing, broadcasters and equipment makers argue that it's time to increase the power devoted to FM HD Radio broadcasts. The initial HD Radio rollout was structured to ensure minimal interference of analog signals while also offering a strong digital service, and with the first gone smoothly, there was minimal interruption of traditional radio broadcasts.

The result is more than 1,700 HD Radio stations across the country. Now, Clarke says, consumers and broadcasters alike are making their preferences known, and seeking improved reception in areas where digital signals are not the same as analog signals and enhanced reception by a greater variety of devices.

The petition was filed by a group of more than 20 broadcasting companies representing hundreds of local radio stations across the country.

Comments

[PocketRadio]

"Upping HD Radio signal strengths"

"The short math given what we know today is that it will cost roughly double on the transmission end to increase HD Radio FM power tenfold. There are likely to be additional costs for cooling and air handling as well, in order to dissipate the excess energy required to get out another 10 dB in HD Radio signal. And, for some higher powered stations, existing HD Radio configurations may not be able to handle the power load, which could add to the cost and complexity of increasing HD Radio beyond its current power level... Also worth considering is existing transmitter combiner technology and whether or not it can support the added demands of increasing HD Radio broadcasts another 10 dB. If not, then it’s very likely that stations at the higher power levels will need to factor in a new antenna system that can support HD Radio, rather than piggyback onto their existing FM antenna system. At the higher powers, especially, an immediate 10 dB increase in HD Radio signal may be cost prohibitive... This will typically mean the addition of another similarly rated transmitter (using a combining technique) or the purchase of a new transmitter of roughly twice today’s power level."

http://www.rbr.com/features/intel_briefs/hd_radio_signal_bealor_cavell.html

Few stations wil lbe able to afford the proposed power increase.

"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

iBiquity/NAB is trying to keep this from public coments and from the NAB members - wonder why?

[J.H. Snider]

Yet another request for an obsene giveaway of public resources to the radio broadcast industry.