RE: RDS car radio

[SteveOrdinetz <steveord@bit-net.com>]

Cooper Fox wrote:

>I remember hearing about the development of RDS
>systems in the early 90s(discovery channel's BEYOND
>2000,IIRC).  A few posts ago someone mentioned that
>only 5% of cars have RDS capable radios.  Any chance
>this percentage will increase?  Or is this a long
>lasting fad?

Part of it is a chicken-and-egg thing...consumers hold off buying it until 
it does something useful, and the stations don't want to implement it until 
there are enough people with receivers to make it worthwhile.  It's been 
little more than a curiosity item.

It caught on more in Europe due the fact that much of the radio there is 
State-owned networks, and RDS has the capability of retuning the radio to 
the strongest signal of that network as you drive.  Doesn't really apply here.