To the delight of radio broadcasters, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) took time off from Congress’ bipartisan effort to save the economy to introduce a bill that would require satellite and radio receiver manufacturers to include in all receivers sold in the U.S. the ability to receive HD Radio signals. Markey, who is also chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, introduced the ‘‘Radio All Digital Channel Receiver Act’’ over the weekend.
“Millions of Americans today rely on local broadcast radio for news, public safety bulletins, sports, weather, traffic and other information,” said Markey. “As the broadcast radio industry migrates to digital broadcasting technology, this legislation will ensure that consumers are able to readily receive free service through consumer electronics systems that are otherwise receiving satellite digital audio radio and traditional AM or FM stations.”
Markey said his bill seeks to address the long-term competitive health of local radio “while ensuring that their local, digital services are readily received by radio consumers.”
The bill has the support of a bipartisan group of Energy and Commerce Committee House members who co-sponsored H.R. 7157, including Lee Terry (R-NE), Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX), Greg Walden (R-OR), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Dan Burton (R-IN).
The Act also seeks to do what the FCC failed to do when it approved the historic merger between satcasters Sirius and XM on July 25. That was the time for the regulatory body to require radio manufacturers to require HD Radio capability be included on all satellite receivers, believes FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein. During a Sept. 19 commissioner’s breakfast at the NAB Radio Show/R&R Convention in Austin, the commissioner, an opponent of the merger, played down the commission’s recent official public inquiry which seeks comment on making forcing HD Radio technology be included on satellite receivers and expressed doubt that the commission now has the legal authority to enforce such a requirement.
According to an article in the Naples, Fla. Daily News on Sept.27, Beasley Broadcast Group VP/CFO Caroline Beasley, who also is chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters’ HD Radio Digital Technology Advancement Force, said HD Radio is within listening range of 90 percent of the U.S. population. And while the task force has been affective encouraging broadcasters to roll out new, niche formats at sidebar stations around the country, automobile manufacturers have been slow to add the technology to their option lists. Markey’s legislation would be a boon to broadcasters.
“NAB salutes the leadership of chairman Markey and a bipartisan group of lawmakers for sponsoring this important bill that will boost the integration of HD Radio in satellite radio receivers, including those installed in automobiles,” said NAB president and CEO David K. Rehr. “In addition to providing 235 million weekly listeners with entertainment and music programming, free local radio stations have a long tradition of serving as a lifeline during times of crisis. This legislation will extend and enhance these services as radio stations embrace our digital future.”
It is unclear whether the pending legislation would force manufacturers of Sirius XM receivers to include HD Radio technology on aftermarket satellite receivers plug and play units that traditionally include only satellite reception intended to be used in tandem with already installed AM/FM receivers. Sirius XM spokesman Patrick Reilly could not be reached for comment.
September 29th, 2008 at 5:31 pm (#)
why does there have to be a mandate for radio manufacturers to include HD capabilities???
this is supposed to be a free country. whats next? every baby has to be implanted with a gps chip?
this move by Markey is a blatant abuse of power to “hook up” his buddies with guaranteed business.
lets hope the rest of congress doesnt go along with this scam. don’t they have more pressing issues at the moment…. like the impending collapse of our economy?
am I the only person not completely ignorant of whats going on here???
September 29th, 2008 at 5:58 pm (#)
im looking at the bill and not seeing the HD chip requirement….
only fm/am recievers - thats a lot different than requiring HD chips.
am I missing something???
September 29th, 2008 at 6:02 pm (#)
apparently yes…you are missing something…there are dozens of stories about it on the net…
What needs to happen is everyone must write their local represenatative and express outrage over this communistic bill.
September 29th, 2008 at 6:24 pm (#)
I was misinformed. I heard HD radio commercials a couple of years ago and assumed that HD meant high definition, but apparently the HD trademark is as misleading as the commercials I heard.
I have been a satellte subscriber for the last 2 years so I have little exposure to or interest in “HD” radio.
“HD Radio” is the proprietary trademark for iBiquity’s in-band on-channel (IBOC) technology, which was selected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2002 as the only current digital audio broadcasting technology for AM and FM broadcasting in the United States.[3] According to iBiquity’s website, “…The ‘HD’ in ‘HD Radio’ does not mean ‘high-definition’ or ‘hybrid digital’. Other systems such as DRM may be authorized in the future. FMeXtra is FM only and only a handful of FM stations in the USA transmit with FMeXtra:”
September 29th, 2008 at 8:09 pm (#)
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_email_form&Itemid=124
If you find this to be a bunch of BS please use this site above to share your disgust, and thank him for wasting tax payers time and money. What a joke satellite is competing against free let each market player fend for themselves.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:21 pm (#)
sorry about the blunt french here: ********** is what they are. everyone else pays there own way, and they think they get a free ride. economy is going down the toilet and these imbelles want to mandae this crap. is it a wonder economy going down the toilet when they strap on this kind of crap to real products.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:31 pm (#)
Shark absolutely agree. Hay if you are disgusted please drop this jackass an email. Does anybody know Bill Oreilly this is the kind of thing he hates. Stupid policies just think if we could get him raging about this. Well is doesn’t hurt to dream
September 30th, 2008 at 6:08 am (#)
[...] country on the brink of collapse, this piece of crap decided today to introduce a bill that will MANDATE that HD Radio be included in all Satellite Radio receivers! Markey said his bill seeks to address the long-term competitive health of local radio “while [...]
September 30th, 2008 at 8:01 am (#)
CRFCEO, your comment, “What needs to happen is everyone must write their local represenatative and express outrage over this communistic bill,” is appreciated. To make it happen, however, will require an organized effort. Don’t count on this blog’s readers as a powerful bloc that will jump up an write their representatives. Won’t happen. Got any suggestions for getting the effort organized? I have one that is related: Get the word out beyond this and the related blogs. Think beyond traders / investors interests to who else will want to quash Markey’s NAB-backed assault on SATRAD. (An aside: Consider, too, that new technologies also will cause impact. Mobile Broadband, for example, is one worth following.)
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:23 pm (#)
MediaDailyNews (mediapost.com) Headline: “Sound Off: Sirius, XM Tout ‘Best Of Both’”
by Erik Sass, Thursday, Oct 2, 2008 4:57 PM ET
Key paragraph from Sass’s article:
“Several big radio manufacturers have opposed the idea of including HD receivers. Also in May, Pioneer North America sent a letter to the FCC arguing against this condition — warning that forcing manufacturers to include HD tech would ‘interfere with the useful and healthy free market mechanisms extant in radio electronics purchases” and result in a host of technical difficulties, including “decreasing AM/FM tuning performance.’”