HD Radio hits the automotive airwaves

Panasonic offers its built-in HD Radio in the CQ-CB8901U disc receiver for $199.99. Kenwood offers the KTC-HR100 HD Radio tuner, which adds HD Radio and multicasting capability to any HD Radio-ready Kenwood in-dash receiver for $199.99.

Like satellite radio, HD listeners can see the title and artist of the song currently playing on the receiver’s readout. But content offerings can vary greatly between satellite and HD programming.

Satellite radio providers say their breadth of programming bests terrestrial radio’s. XM and Sirius combined have more than 300 channels available to listeners all the time. This is compared to the 60-odd AM and FM stations listed as available in the New York tri-state area. Sirius and XM say they offer more personalized music, sports and entertainment programs tailored to genres, nationwide. Doing so, they say, enables them to offer consumers, particularly in the music channels, the surprise of discovery, in that one can enjoy the novelty of listening to artists or songs that are new to them, or relish the freshness of not knowing exactly which artist or song is up next, regardless of where they are.

Paul Blalock, Sirius’ head of investor relations, says: “I consider us more of an on-demand type service, in that you really don’t have to know what you want. You have to know the genre, and it’s programmed for you.”

Steve Cook, XM’s EVP of automotive marketing, says satellite’s advantage goes beyond sound fidelity: “HD Radio is traditional AM and FM radio stations in a local market going to a digital signal, which improves their sound quality. But the main reason people are interested in XM radio is not the digital sound quality, it’s the breadth of all the content we offer. It’s the coast-to-coast coverage advantages, the commercial-free music. We have, we believe, very strong advantages compared to HD Radio.”

Peter Ferrara, president and CEO of HD Digital Radio Alliance, counters that satellite radio’s national footprint means it cannot provide content specific or meaningful enough to the particular place where consumers live, like HD Radio and traditional terrestrial radio can.

Traditionally, terrestrial radio stations are programmed where they’re based, in the same community or region, though Clear Channel has been known to program stations situated in less-populated, smaller markets from outside of their locales.

“Satellite radio is the same channel in New York as it is in L.A.,” Ferrara says. “What the broadcasters have put on the air in HD Radio in New York is totally different than what we’ve put on the air in Los Angeles, because we’ve been able to specifically serve the marketplaces, balancing what is already on the air and what’s missing, and what the consumer population is. There wasn’t a country radio station on the air in New York City, but now there’s one in HD. We didn’t need to put another country station on in Nashville. So that’s the uniqueness of it.

“I also think there is a real sense of community between the listener and the local radio stations,” he adds. “There’s a sense of ‘Hey, they live and work in the same place we do, and they’re involved in our communities,’ whether that’s raising money for children’s hospitals or doing wacky stunts or bringing in concerts or whatever, they’re part of the community, the life in the marketplace. That’s something that HD and only local radio can deliver. Satellite could never pull that off.”

MORE FROM AUTOS

Autos Section Front

Kia in the rearview mirror, but gaining fast A leaner GM zooms out of bankruptcy Key to GM’s turnaround: Chevy GM’s next plan: Sell new cars on eBay? Five keys to GM's success after bankruptcy Ten cars that brought down Detroit GM, Chrysler fight reopening closed dealers GM close to offering ex-CEO Wagoner exit deal The new GM: Fewer suits, greener logo? Traffic congestion dips as economy falters Autos Section Front   Add Autos headlines to your news reader: