HD Radio & FMeXtra Aaron Read / WEOS Ed Bukont / Comm-Struction

1. HD Radio & FMeXtraAaron Read / WEOSEd Bukont / Comm-Struction Digital Broadcasting : HD RadioTM, FMeXtraTM engineering, content & future planning. Leverage Multicasting for Yourself and Others ! Plus what HD RadioTM means for your signal in terms of coverage, fidelity, reception, etc. No, your presenters are not “drinking the iBiquity Kool-Aid”

2. What is HD Radio?Hint: the “HD” doesn’t stand for anything! • HD Radio is a brand name by iBiquity Digital Corp. • Technical term is IBOC : In-Band/On-Channel. • Uses digital sidebands on your existing analog signal. • Requires a new transmitter, may require a new antenna, xmission line. • Doesn’t require a new STL, processor or studio facilities, but you may want to seriously consider them to fully take advantage of IBOC’s benefits. • Two-stage migration path: • “Hybrid” phase: analog + digital; less bandwidth, back-compatible w/existing radios. • “All-digital” phase: more bandwidth, requires HD Radio tuners. • FCC is not authorizing all-digital stations (yet). See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

3. Must my station install HD Radio? • The FCC is not mandating migration to HD Radio (unlike Digital TV in Feb.2009) • However, your listeners (or donors, or college admins) may effectively demand that you do it! • You are always competing with satradio, iPods, podcasts, etc. • Content is King, but HD Radio features are Queen • Market-Driven solution = You don’t decide, the Listeners do, may take YEARS to install…must start planning/fundraising NOW. • HD Radio is the only “official” digital broadcast solution to receive the NRSC’s blessing. • BUT…technically there could be other IBOC solutions that are not HD Radio, but none exist as of now. See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

4. HD Radio’s benefits: FM & AM • Audio fidelity (not quality) • AM sounds like FM, FM sounds like CD (20kHz audio B/W) • Elimination of multipath interference • Audio sound is consistent across your broadcast range. • Very noticeable for AM. • Fading, pops, clicks, stereo hiss are just gone. • FM has multicasting – HD2, HD3, etc in one signal! • PSD (aka PAD) – Artist / Title & more • Data Services: • Conditional Access, On-Demand Audio, One-Button Buying, Downloads, Images/Video…what else? See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

5. HD Radio’s problems: FM & AM • HDC algorithm is lossy = Source material quality considerations / cascading algorithms. • AM digital sidebands = noisy band (nighttime, esp) • Also true for FM, but not as problematic • TIGHT tolerances = Requires GOOD Engineering • Initial costs are not cheap: $75,000 - $250,000 • Ongoing licensing fees to iBiquity (a different paradigm) • Getting in over your head: what exactly you going to do with those extra channels/features? • “Is the ROI really there for you?” vs. “Is your station’s mission/operation suddenly obsolete?” (eek!) See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

6. Changing Perceptions • IBOC “breaks the norms” of radio. • Coverage only to ~60dBu = NO FRINGE! • The FCC’s warned us for years not to count on fringe!! • Digital = ON or OFF…no gradual fade to static • Old worries: multipath interference, stereo hiss, not sounding “loud enough”. • New worries: cascading algorithms, bad processing, poor antenna placement / receiver quality, PAD/PSD done right/wrong. See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

7. What is FMeXtra? • FMeXtra is like a digital subcarrier/SCA. • Gives you 1 – 7 extra audio channels • Depends on RDS, analog SCA’s and stereo/mono • “Multicasting on the cheap” • Backwards-compatible like IBOC, but only works for FM, not AM • Is an add-on system to analog FM • IBOC is more a replacement system See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

8. FMeXtra benefits • Flexible! You control how much bandwidth you want to have (24-120kbps), allocate it to multiple audio channels. • Codec is arguably better audio quality than IBOC. • Very easy to install. 1 hour and yer on-the-air! • One-time cost (~$10,000) no ongoing licensing fees. • Supports conditional access today! In theory, can do data services (nothing created for it yet) • Signal tends to reach further than IBOC does…the 50dBu contour or so. • Compatible with HD Radio – you can do both! See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

9. FMeXtra problems • Only works with FM, not AM. Requires an analog signal, so doesn’t work with all-digital HD Radio signals. • No improvements to the main analog channel. • No NRSC approval, so convincing OEM’s to make receivers is harder. • Only one receiver (Aruba) on the market (barely) right now. • No receivers that do both FMeXtra and HD Radio exist yet, although DRE is pushing OEM’s. • Designed to be an SCA improvement… • …not really a multicasting solution. See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

10. HD/FMX Multicasting: the Killer AppBut just WHAT exactly you gonna put on the air? • Put your/someone else’s music on it? • You got the resources to do it without sucking? • Does this really compete against iPods, et al? • HD2 barter with another station? • Competition, marketing issues vs. cash / extra listeners • Rent to Someone Else? • Competing with yourself vs. Cash for you. • Thinking outside the box: the 5 min. loop • Conditional Access: The Fundraiser’s Dream • Don’t forget: HD2, etc channels mute when the digital signal is lost (unlike analog, it’s either there or not) See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

11. Future Thinking: HD Radio(also FMeXtra to some degree) • FCC doesn’t mandate it, but your listeners might! • Costs are high = Long term planning needed! • Probably longer than you will be at your college. • IBOC and/or Multicasting may effectively require substantial upgrades in automation / studios / STL / processor / xmitter plant • IBOC for AM – suddenly that squeaky chair is quite audible! • Very different processing vs. sound the same for analog-blend. • Despite greater B/W (~15kHz vs. 20kHz) & no pre-emphasis. • Professional Engineering Support is a MUST! See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

12. Shameless Self-PromotionThe IBOC Handbook : Understanding HD RadioTM Technology • Looking to really learn the engineering of IBOC / HD Radio? Read this book! • First & Only Overview of the Newly-Approved NRSC-5 (IBOC) Standard. • Authored by David Maxson • Illustrated by Aaron Read • Available on Amazon.com See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com

13. Final Thoughts • Questions – and please no: • Rants, Screeds, Diatribes, Harangues, Raving, Tirades, Bullyragging, Vociferation, Bloviating, Railing, Objurgating, Badgering, Molestation, Nettling, Ruffling, Badgering, Pestering, Heckling or Persecution. • Tell us your situation, we’ll opine if HD Radio or FMeXtra is right for you! Aaron Read can be reached via www.friedbagels.com/blog Ed Bukont can be reached at ebukont@msn.com Need an engineer? www.sbe.org See also : http://www.hdradio.com and http://www.dreinc.com