Thursday, April 14, 2011

Radio's Conversion To Digital Shows Slow Growth...

Will radio reach a point when digital signals will be required like television? The FCC will eventually make that requirement but radio better hope it doesn't come anytime soon. Radio is simply not prepared to go digital. To date, only 1,627 radio stations have converted to digital - that represents just 16% of total stations. Radio World reports that FCC Audio Division Chief Peter Doyle made that claim at the NAB Radio Show. Doyle says the conversion to digital rate amounts to "maybe a handful" each month. Doyle believes the poor economy is likely responsible for the conversion rate. Budget cuts have taken their toll on radio in all areas of operation. Then there are those that have yet to be convinced that conversion to digital results in revenue gains ...

Asking for a power increase is tempting because there's never been an easier time to increase broadcast power than now. Notifying the FCC is about all that's required. Doyle is concerned about the stations that are simply "replicating analog coverage", which doesn't produce a digital signal. It just gives stations a better analog signal. Then there's HD, a product of iBiquity Digital. HD (which does not stand for "High Definition") proponents feel their stations would more easily qualify for a power increase should they better protect neighboring stations from potential interference. They would be correct in that assumption...

We live in a digital world where AM radio gets a pass until someone comes up with real digital AM. FM stations aren't as lucky. Not only is stereo a must for FM but so is digital. Better to do it now before the FCC mandates it. That day is coming...

10 Timeline Memories:
1.1865] A bad day at the theater: President Abraham Lincoln is shot and mortally wounded by actor John Wilkes Booth while attending the comedy "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater in Washington (DC). He will die of his wounds the following day...
2.1894] Pass the popcorn: The first public showing of Edison's kinetoscope aka 'moving pictures' is held...
3.1902] The money man: James Cash Penney opens his first retail store, The Golden Rule Store in Kemmerer (WY). The name will be changed to J.C. Penney...
4.1910] Play ball: President William Howard Taft throws out the 1st ball for the Washington Senators-Philadelphia A's game in Washington (DC) and a tradition is born...1969] The first major league game is played in Canada (Montreal)...
5.1912] Down with the ship: The Titanic, on its maiden voyage, hits an iceberg and begins to sink. It will fully sink at 2:27 a.m. on April 15th. More than 700 survive but 1,517 lose their lives...
6.1939] Sour grapes: John Steinbeck publishes "The Grapes of Wrath"...
7.1956] Get out the splicing bars: Ampex Corporation demonstrates the first commercial magnetic tape recorder for sound and picture...
8.2003] Gotcha: U.S. commandos in Baghdad capture Abul Abbas, leader of the Palestinian group that killed an American on the hijacked Achille Lauro in 1985...
9.2003] A Tikrit to ride: Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit falls to U.S. led forces with unexpectedly light resistance...
10.2008] Wedding Bells: Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp., announce they are combining...

Music Memories:
Events:
Ensele Art Gallery presents the Gallery Collection of legendary rock photographer Richard E. Aaron, this Saturday, April 16 from 5pm to 10pm. Admission is $20 per guest with proceeds going to the National Kidney Foundation, serving Southern California & Southern Nevada. The gallery is located at 23480 Park Sorrento, Calabasas (CA)...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Adrien Brody (38), Anthony Michael Hall (43), Brad Garrett (51), Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore (66), Pete Rose (70), Julie Christie (70), Frank Serpico (75), Loretta Lynn (79) & Marvin Miller (94)...

Timeline Countdown: 4 days until Passover, 10 days until Easter, 14 days until the NFL draft, 23 days until the Kentucky Derby & 24 days until Mother's Day...
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