Globe editorial calls FM radio "outdated technology"

[Aaron Read]

John, that's only true in some marketer's head...it's not true in
reality, as Tom Ray (a proponent of HD Radio, mind you) rather
viciously wrote about in Radio World recently:

http://rwonline.com/article/104712

"Just for fun, I called Ford corporate HQ in Detroit, and talked to
many nice people. And these many nice people all told me I was their
first HD Radio call, ever. And none of them could answer my question
as to the availability of a factory-installed HD Radio that might just
fit into the dashboard of my new Escape .  (snip)   I was then passed
around to department managers in Customer Service, Research, PR and
Engineering. No one could assist me without pointing me to
www.hdradio.com.  I informed them that this website is useless. It
tells me things I already know, and nothing about radio availability
from Ford. I just went in circles."

Tom also reports that HD Radio supposedly will be an option available
with the $1000 navigation package on SOME Ford models in 2011.  Maybe.

I am a proponent of HD Radio myself, but even I readily admit that
unless the industry gets HD Radios as standard equipment into a
variety of OEM cars...and VERY soon...then it's doomed as a
technology.   OEM's are going out of their way to integrate their
radios with the climate control, steering-wheel control, and
navigation features.  And making them part of very non-standard
physical mounts.  Pretty soon the aftermarket car stereo industry
won't exist in any meanful way anymore, so that route will be cut off.
 Radio listening in the home or office was always second-banana to
listening in the car...and the car manufacturers have fought HD Radio
tooth and nail because XM/Sirius (and now Microsoft with Sync) have
paid handsomely for them to do so.   Car OEM's have whined for years
about the four-year design/launch cycle for new vehicles and that's
why they can't just drop new radios in immediately.  Well, HD Radio
has been around for seven years, so why the hell haven't we had at
least two or three years of HD Radios as standard equipment?  Or at
least optional equipment?

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Aaron Read
friedbagels@gmail.com
WEOS 89.7FM General Manager
(315) 781-3811


John Mullaney john@minutemancomm.com
Mon Aug 23 14:47:35 EDT 2010

Bob all Fords and Mercury's are available with Factory HD now. It is
an option how ever.