Herald: HD Radio Hot, Actual shows are not

[Bob Nelson]

http://business.bostonherald.com/reviews/view.bg?articleid=154741

"Then there's Boston Acoustics' Recepter Radio HD. Those puppies are
designed to make AM sound like FM, and upgrade FM to CD quality. On
top of that, broadcasters are now multicasting, which is technical
jargon for sandwiching as many as four channels onto a single FM
frequency. And that kind of development, broadcasters say, will lead
to more choice and diversity on the radio."
    (snip)
    "The idea of having a plethora of hidden stations is exciting. But
the dearth of true variety on most of these stations was
disappointing. The problem is not many of the multicast channels
deviate from the mundane commercialized programming you hear on
traditional radio, minus the lack of commercials. This isn't Boston
Acoustics' fault, it's the broadcasters.
    If terrestrial radio wants to grab the attention of a generation
more in tune to podcasts than the Top 40 countdown, they're going to
have be edgier, bolder and experimental."