HD Radio - The Grand Illusion

So the HD Radio Alliance issued a press release yesterday.

"HD Digital Radio Alliance Continues Aggressive Marketing Campaign in Q1 Despite Down Economy"

It makes for fascinating reading, although probably not in the way intended by the Alliance.

The new 2009 campaign will focus on HD Radio's evolution (not sure how that will play to a certain segment of the population, but we'll let that pass).

So what will this fantabulous new campaign be about? According to the press release,

HD Radio has 'evolved' and wants to show off its cool new features (iTunes Tagging), low price-points (as little as $79), extra stations (from Indie Rock to Smooth Jazz to The Irish Channel), and no subscription fees (perfect during a recession). And with less advertising 'clutter,' there has never been a more perfect time for the message to resonate with consumers.

OK, let's look at those points in detail.

Cool new features (iTunes Tagging) - What customers want:

1. Hear a song on the radio
2. Press a button
3. Download song

What customers got with iTunes tagging:

1. Hear a song from an HD Radio broadcast that has compatible metadata on an HD Radio tuner that has the iTunes tagging option
2. Press a button
3. Metadata (NOT song) stored on tuner until customer syncs iPod with tuner
4. Customer syncs iPod with computer
5. Metadata loaded into iTunes and displayed as an option to purchase

Not only does this take way too many steps, but look at all the qualifiers in step one. Only some of the radio stations in this country broadcast an HD Radio signal. Of those that do, only some have the iTunes Tagging metadata. And there are only a few tuners capable of even using said data. My dad might think this is cool, but I'm used to downloading directly from the Internet. I find this a lukewarm feature at best.

Low price-points (as little as $79) - Low prices are good, in context. Getting a product you want for $79 instead of $300 is a real bargain. Being asked to spend $79 dollars for something you neither want nor need is just a waste of money. So far, most consumers have shown a steadfast indifference to HD Radio.

Extra stations (from Indie Rock to Smooth Jazz to The Irish Channel) - This could be attractive, if all of these stations were available in all markets. They aren't. Most commercial stations only have one HD Radio signal -- the simulcast of their regular programming. Of those that do offer an alternative channel, it's up to the station to pick the one -- or two -- other programming feeds it offers. So I'm sure the Irish Channel is being aired somewhere, but not in every major market, and certainly not in most other markets throughout the country. So if you're thinking of getting an HD Radio for that fine Indie Rock Channel, better check your local program listings first.

No subscription fees (perfect during a recession) - Cool. But analog broadcasts are also free. So if money is really tight, why not save $79 (see above) and just keep using the radio I already have? I know this tis a swipe at satellite radio, but that's still a small percentage of the radio market. This seems to be paying it a disproportionate amount of attention.

And with less advertising 'clutter,' there has never been a more perfect time for the message to resonate with consumers - Does it mean that the Christmas season is over, so there's fewer ads? Nice, but filling the empty spaces with HD Radio spots isn't really the solution. Listeners have consistently complained about the overburdened spot breaks for years. Too many commercials in every break simply makes every ad less effective, and all of them more annoying. This press release acknowledges that there's clutter -- so why not address that problem (less spots at higher ad rates) and make everyone happy?

I'm not sure talking about HD Radio in terms of evolution is the way to go, but one thing's for sure. This isn't intelligent design.

- Ralph

Day 189 of the WJMA Web Watch. (We could do with a little evolution here.)

Podcast Review: Radio Clash

"Radio Clash" is one of the longest podcasts I listen to. This program of mashups, remixes, unusual and outsider recordings and other types of hip sonic mayhem usually runs about 70 minutes. Episodes lasting 90+ minutes to over two hours aren't uncommon.

So there's quantity, but is there quality? Absolutely. The show's host, Tim from the UK, has been sharing his (and others) reinterpretations of pop music since 2004, and I have yet to hear an episode that didn't have some kind of sonic surprise that made it worthwhile.

As with other podcasts, if you listen long enough, you'll build up a portrait of Tim, but that's not what "Radio Clash" is really about. While the choices of music and the way they're sequenced is highly individualistic (which is revealing in and of itself), Tim keeps the focus on the music.

So what can you hear in an episode of Radio Clash? I don't know if there's a typical episode, but there's all kinds of things you could hear. There could be some Negativland, or other types of musique concrete. You might hear some pop song mashups that either blend two or more songs together, or use one song as a framework for other kinds of audio bits. Sometimes there's drum and bass, and you might get some WFMU-worthy aural oddities, and other things besides.

I've always been of the opinion that there's more to music than the top 40, and Tim effectively proves it every episode (while also showing that even the most commercial pop music is good for something if you just tweak it a little).

It's a labor of love, and I'm surprised and grateful that Tim hasn't experienced podfade yet. After four (soon to be five) years, "Radio Clash" is still going strong -- and I'm still subscribed.

Thanks, Tim!

- Ralph

Day 188 of the WJMA Web Watch.

Christmas Vacation

Taking some time off -- and some time off the grid. I'll be back in about a week. In the meantime, if there are subjects you'd like to see discussed in greater detail on this blog, leave a suggestion in comments.

Here's an image of the season -- from our own Christmas tree. Best of the season to one and all.

- Ralph

Waltzing Cowboys and the Social Media Dance

Sarah Honenberger's latest novel, "Waltzing Cowboys," has already received several good reviews. But this post isn't about the book (several copies of which sit wrapped under our tree, awaiting Christmas morning).

Rather, it's about the growth of the author. You may recall when I started blogging about Honenberger, her first novel "White Lies" had just been published by Cedar Creek Press. She was still something of an Internet novice, and her website (started primarily to support the book) was a little sparse.

Well, two print runs and a new novel later, things are radically different. Her website has plenty of information about "Waltzing Cowboys," including an excerpt and talking points for book clubs (now that's proactive marketing).

In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that she was working on a MySpace page. She completed it, (although it's suffering from a little neglect, just like mine). But in the meantime, Honenberger's expanded more fully into the world of social media. You can find her on Twitter, FaceBook, Gather, and LinkedIn, just to name a few.

Barnes & Noble has the book for sale, and it looks like the entire stock Amazon.com got in is almost gone (better hurry).

Bottom line: Sarah Honenberger's clearly learned how to connect directly with her readers. And through social networking, the people her readers are connected to can discover her work. After all -- aren't you more likely to try an author your friend likes than one you don't know much about?

One of the most important elements of storytelling is character growth. In this case, it's the author who's growing in social media sophistication. It's not over yet, but I'm liking the direction of the story arc.

- Ralph

Day 183 of the WJMA Web Watch. (Good thing Honenberger's success doesn't depend on local radio coverage.)

Podcast Review -- Mostly Trivial

Trivia should be fun -- and not many people make it as much fun as Johnee Bee, host of the "Mostly Trivial" podcast. The show is a nice balance of frantic silliness and straight-forward common sense.

The calm, even-voiced Johnee Bee hosts the quiz. He asks the questions, provides the answers and gives additional information about the subject. Introducing the show is Mr. Category Guy, whose deep, gravelly electronically altered tones don't quite disguise the fact that he's also Johnee Bee. And the same is true of Johnee's able assistant, Robot Boy, who speaks in a higher and more artificial-sounding voice.

The trivia's interesting enough; it's usually about things that a reasonably well-rounded person might know. But it's the production values that really make this podcast.

I don't know who Johnee Bee is, but he has to have a background in major market radio. His characters are deftly drawn, and with a few simple sound effects, he can paint an audio picture of Mr. Category Guy having one too many in his sound booth, or Robot Boy extending his hydraulic arm to give Johnee Bee the list of questions. Although all three voices are done by the same person, the conversations flow naturally, and the comic timing is impeccable -- these are mad editing skills at work!

And the podcast is peppered with all kinds of crazy and non-sequitur quotes and sound effects. Snippets from classic films, TV shows, and cartoons pepper the podcast providing a counterpoint -- and sometimes humorous commentary -- to Johnee Bee's simple, straightforward delivery.

The choice of music is also brilliant. Johnee Bee uses the strange musical stylings of Coconut Monkeyrocket, which provide a Carl Stalling-like soundtrack to the proceedings (if Stalling was more like Spike Jones, that is).

I thoroughly enjoy this little six to eight-minute podcast, and only wish it came out more often. But I can hear the amount of production work Johnee Bee puts into each episode, and I know that probably won't happen without a bigger payday.

My suggestion? Syndicate it. One of the reasons I'm moving away from radio is the dull, uninspired "morning trivia" segments on some of my local stations. If "Mostly Trivial" was available as a segment radio stations could just drop in, then I think the show would be a much bigger hit than it is, and Johnee Bee might become as famous as Dan Orkin's "Chickenman" -- and for much the same reason.

- Ralph

Day 182 of the WJMA Web Watch. (These guys could use Johnee Bee for sure.)