HD Radio: Worldwide

HD Radio global flop
"iBiquity's International Marketing Diminished"

"This little blurb in a trade publication notes the fact that HD Radio's point-man for global sales is stepping down. He is not being replaced; the company is construing this as (yet another) cost-cutting move. Regardless of the veracity of this statement, it can't bode well for a digital radio protocol that has no real traction outside of the United States - and very little domestically to boot. One might look at this as another throe in the agonizing death that HD Radio is undergoing."

HD Radio fails tests

"Brazil: Tests Tech Before Implementation"

"After extensive testing of both HD Radio and DRM, the Secretary of the Ministry of Communications Electronic Communications, Genildo Lins, said the tests of the two technologies have had poor results, especially high-power FM. The testing demonstrated the digital signal coverage is approximately 70% of the current analog signal. The future of radio is digital, but that future is not yet. We are unable to make a decision on these results. A polite way of saying, this is not the digital radio we were hoping for... Using unbiased real world testing, HD Radio does not look so hot. One caveat; the digital carrier level is -20dBc. That being duly noted, results show a 112 KW EIRP analog station with a 1.12 KW digital carrier that is unusable 6 miles from the transmitter site in some areas."

"Brazil: Why HD Radio is not Catching on in the US"

"Marco Tulio Nascimento, General Manager of Technology, SGR – Sistema Globo de Radio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, sent RBR-TVBR an email asking why HD Radio in the US is not catching on. He is preparing a report about digital radio, as the Brazilian government is in the process of choosing the national standard for digital radio."

Canada rejects HD Radio
"Canada in Digital Radio Limbo"

"However, Canadian broadcasters are not moving to add HD Radio services, preferring instead to stick with analog AM and FM... Meanwhile, HD Radio — the iBiquity Digital in-channel, on-band (IBOC) system — has been authorized for experimental FM broadcasts in Canada since 2006. Yet, despite the willingness of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission to fast-track licenses in this format, not one broadcaster has come to us to request one, said CRTC Vice Chair Michel Arpin."

"IBOC in the Canadian FM Radio Environment"

"Based on the evidence currently in hand, the DRCG considers that it would be risky for Canadian broadcasters to proceed at this time with an unrestricted roll-out of HD Radio services in the FM band, in the manner implemented in the US. There is no ground-swell of radio listener interest in this technology so far and the lack of inexpensive receivers, as well as unique new programming services, continues to make it difficult to market HD Radio to the public in the US."

HD Radio Mexico interferes
"Mexico Says Hang on a Minute!"

"Mexico wants U.S. radio regulators to re-think their decision to allow AMs to go IBOC at night and FMs to operate on the extended hybrid digital carriers. Our neighbors to the south say they are not happy the FCC authorized its recent final IBOC rules governing broadcast transmissions without first coordinating those through international treaties."

Swiss dump HD Radio
"Swiss HD Radio Project"

"Plans for a five-station HD Radio project to launch next month in Switzerland have been called off. Markus Ruoss, owner of Sunshine Radio and head of the HD Radio project, speaking today (Aug. 30) at the SwissRadioDay, said that, due to a lack of a partner in Zürich (the largest media market in the country) the project would not go ahead."

Indonesia rejects HD Radio
"Eureka: Reaching out to the World DMB Community"

"After several tests and trials on digital broadcasting technologies including DAB and IBOC in 2006, media broadcasters and the industry have seen that DAB and DVB would be the best-suited systems to be applied in Indonesia. Up to now, the largest public-radio network – RRI (RadioRepublik Indonesia), is running a successful trial broadcast on DAB in Jakarta as well as testing the DRM technology – and experiencing minimum troubles."

HD Radio Argentina flop
"Latin America, Future of Digital Radio is Murky"

“If digital radio has not found a market in the United States, with a population of 300 million, then what chance do we have in Argentina with a population of only 40 million, wondered Juan Fernández, director of Radio Mi País, an AM station on 1170 kHz."


"Digital Car Radio Secrets Revealed"

"Commercial Radio Australia says that HD Radio will not be available in Australia as it has already been rejected by the Australian commercial radio industry and public broadcasters... Our AM spacing in Australia is 9Khz. The US HD radio technology operates on 10kHz channel spacing, so the technology would need major upgrade if it ever to be suitable for digital radio services in Australia and indeed much of Asia, she said. Currently the USA HD model switches off at 4.00 pm to allow broadcasters in the AM Band to avoid co-channel interference in markets several 100 kilometres away. HD radio was rejected by the industry as it would have disadvantaged some of the most successful radio operators in Australia, added Warner."