HD Digital is Takin’ It To The Streets…

Monday, June, 30, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

Unless something happens today the XM-Sirius merger won’t be approved by the end of June but the merger is odds-on to pass with conditions.  One key condition will be a radio which will be compatabile to hear both satellite services.  While there may not be that radio available in the foreseeable future, HD Digital Radio is taking no chances.   They’ll be takin’ their message to the streets  with a $57 million, 13-week marketing campaign that will be heard in 100 markets on more than 700 radio stations.  A full 65% of the radio ads will invite consumers to text UPGRADE to 34343 with the remainder being asked to visit HDRadio.com  .  The text UPGRADE will allow consumers to receive information on HD Radio receivers, retails and vehicles providing HD Radio broadcasts…

Critical Mass Media has measured HD Radio awareness at 75% with awareness among current or likely auto buyers at 31%.  There’s also growth being measured at HDRadio.com with page views so far this year exceeding all of the website’s first year traffic in 2006…

In NAB President/CEO David K. Rehr’s Conclave keynote address last week the first point he raised was ensuring that “radio be incorporated on every new gadget, everywhere.”  His second point was that playlists must have variety and formats should be diverse which led into the subject of the “immense opportunities of HD Radio.“  Look, it’s no secret that the NAB is in bed (embedded?) with the HD Digital Radio Alliance.  They’ve worked closely with the alliance to make sure auto manufacturers “fully equip” their vehicles with HD Radio…

The one advantage that HD Radio has over iBiquity and other broadcast quipment managers is a big one - they already have the radio, the others are in the developmental stage of having one.  Rehr’s full keynote address is available here…  

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1908] No - No - No: Cy Young  pitches his 3rd no-hitter and at 41 becomes the oldest pitcher to do so. The Red Sox blank the Yankees 8-0…1962] The Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax  no hits the Mets 5-0 in Los Angeles. The future Hall of Famer will pitch 4 no-hitters including a perfect game before he’s through…
2. 1921] Debuted on this date: 1936] “Gone With The Wind“, written by Margaret Mitchell is published…
3. 1952] Lighting the way: “The Guiding Light” moves from radio to TV.  It’s still on…
4. 1953] America’s ‘Dream Car“: The 1st Corvette  rolls off the Chevrolet assembly line in Flint, Michigan. The 3rd ‘Vette‘ to roll off the line was sold in 2006 for a cool million…
5. 1971] Old enough: The 26th Amendment  to the Constitution lowers the minimum voting age to 18…
6. 1975] Wedding Bells: Cher and Greg Allman rock down the aisle 4 days after she and Sonny are divorced. Cher and Greg will be divorced two years later…
7. 1982] The Devil you say: New Jersey fans pick the name ‘Devils‘ (by ballot) for their new NHL franchise. Runner-up names: Meadowlanders and Americans. The Devils it is…
8. 1994] Tonya un-plugged: The U.S. Figure Skating Association strips Tonya Harding  of the national championship and bans her from the organization for life for an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan...
9. 1997] Hong Gone: The Union Jack is lowered for the last time over Hong Kong’s  Government House as Britain prepares to hand the colony back to China July 1st after 156 years of British rule…
10. 2001] “Happy Trails“: Legendary Nashville musician Chet Atkins  is a victim of cancer at 77…

Music Memory: 1974] Number One on this date: “Rock The Boat” - Hues Corporation:

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:
Fantasia (Barrino) (24), Mike Tyson (42), Vincent D’Onofrio (49), Stanley Clarke (57), Ron Swoboda (64) and Lena Horne (91)…

Timeline Countdown:  4 days until July 4th, 15 days until the MLB All-Star Game and 39 days until the Summer Olympics…

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