Digital Garbage:  Turning my FM radio into a novelty toaster
by Todd Urick

Much has been written in the radio industry about how digital radio is going to save traditional (terrestrial) broadcasting.  In the pursuit of this new technology, many authors have failed to fully critique digital radio.  While some aspects of the technology are impressive, the downsides have been overlooked.

The radio industry has lined up behind High Definition (HD) radio as one of the best ways to promote existing radio stations. HD Radio is the technology that “drops in” digital radio onto the existing analog FM band.  Unfortunately, many commercial radio companies and National Public Radio (NPR) are lining up for the experimental technology without questioning its usefulness.  HD Radio backers assert digital radio is superior to analog broadcasting.  They further assert that digital broadcasting opens up more channels for more programming. However, the radio content crisis will not be solved by giving exisiting broadcasters additional channels. How will these magical digital signals be summoned upon my radio?  Digital snake oil?  Introducing IBiquity Corporation's IBOC (“In Band On Channel”) digital audio broadcast.

There Is No Free Lunch

IBOC HD Radio only overcrowds existing FM dials; IBOC tacks on an additional digital broadcast signal adjacent to their primary analog FM signal.  The product of this overcrowding is a symphony of continuous fax machine buzzsaw sounds ripping your standard analog radio, sounds that can be heard across the whole band.  The sound is negligible if you own a new digital radio and listen to stations with strong signals.  Yet, if you listen to community radio, Low Power FM, or any station that is not in your town, you'd better get use to the ripping buzz saw sound.  But hey, your local 50,000 watt radio station now delivers "CD quality" sound instead of that shabby "FM quality"—although your ears won't really notice the difference.  Has the lack of fidelity on FM ever been a consumer complaint?

The Content Crisis—Social Darwinism on the Dial

Why would you want to even tune in those small stations anyhow?  Britney and Christina never sounded so good.  HD Radio effectively pushes out all but strongest stations, eliminating weaker signals; "digital interference," or more aptly "digital censorship," will wipe out smaller cultural and educational stations.  In addition, the digital processing will cause a delay in the broadcast.  Live events, such as sports games and press conferences, would require a switch back to analog for real-time broadcasts.  So much for the advantages of digital broadcasting, we lose diversity of content and are forced to revert back to analog technology for live events.

AM radio will suffer an equally bad fate.  AM radio will lose broadcast range and analog broadcast quality, dumping hissing on adjacent channels.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  Another AM digital broadcast system called CAM-D exists which doesn't require new broadcast transmitters and antennas, doesn't create interference, won’t reduce broadcast range, has no broadcast time delay, and is more compatible with current radios.

Unfortunately, the FCC has crowned IBOC the king in the next wave of radio.  Anyone remember when they tried to convince us to trade in our analog cell phones for digital ones because of the superiority?  Instead of the addition of static in fringe areas on the analog phone, the digital phone signal just cuts out completely; so too with digital radio.  The adage is too true in this case--newer isn't always better.  It's up to consumers to demand that the FCC pursue a better system than IBOC, or we will be stuck with more of the same old thing.

The Same Old Thing

All other countries have chosen the "Eureka 147" standard for digital radio broadcasting.  The system was developed by an "international consortium of broadcasters, network operators, consumer electronic industries and research institutes" (see www.worlddab.org).  In the US, new technology standards are dictated not by the best-working technologies, but the hardest working political lobbyist.  The Jack Abramoffs of the country are forcing Americans to adopt an inferior system, and the FCC is aiding the cause.  Now each station will have to buy a new IBiquity-approved transmitter and antenna—with continuous royalty payments to the IBiquity Corporation, forever.  IBiquity even visits the radio stations to help them convert to their proprietary format.

The best thing about IBOC for the radio conglomerates is that it maintains the status quo of commercial radio ownership.  If radio stations had converted to a completely new digital radio band, the possibilities for radio would have been endless.  Community groups, universities, and a whole host of public interest groups could have argued for a fair piece of the new radio.  Starting from scratch again would have allowed for ultra-efficient use of the spectrum.  Obviously, that sort of diversity damages the power held by companies and associated record labels.  The limited supply of radio channels in every community is the biggest reason commercial radio is profitable.  The population is being held hostage from it’s own airwaves with the radio market in the hands of a few providers.  Limiting the marketplace is indeed one way to sell more product—but we call it a monopoly when we talk about most other goods 

Destroying Radio Instead of Ensuring Its Legacy

But what about IBOC’s ability to broadcast on multiple channels?  Yeah, radio stations using HD radio can sacrifice CD quality fidelity to broadcast multiple channels on one frequency by means of redistribution of bitstreaming.  However, many radio listeners will be surprised to know that multichannel analog FM has existed for years ("SCA" or FM subcarrier) and is already used by many FM broadcasters for businesses.  Although not marketed to the public or placed on consumer FM radios, it exists and is more compatible than IBOC.  Unfortunately, digital hype adds credibility to buzzwords like CD quality and digital download.  Multichannel digital on a commercial FM radio channel means what it means: an Ashley Simpson channel, a FOX News channel, a channel to sell Cheese Whiz, and a channel to broadcast the same old informercials.  Could more be less?  MTV's second channel MTV2 only proliferated the broadcast of The Real World marathon every day.  In addition, radio will enter the data distribution market—the final step in driving the sword through the coffin of radio; consumers will be allowed to download from their radios.  Too bad our communities won't get any diverse music or quality local-based programming.  Although, I’ll finally be able to download a Cheese Whiz screen saver for my computer off the radio.  Now the question is can IBiquity make me a digital pair of shoes that will simulate brushing my teeth?

Recommended Reading:
The Premature Death of HD Radio by Mark Ramsey
Another body blow for HD Radio by Mark Ramsey