My Battle Over HD Radio Broadcasting And The Biggest Sale of My Career
RP
A Message from Eric Rhoads, Radio Ink
Note: So you don't read deep into this story and then realize I'm going to
ask you to spend $35, I'm telling you up front. Read further.
A Stink Over HD Radio Broadcasting
By now you know that I've made a stink about the HD Radio broadcasting
effort from time to time. It all started a few years ago, when I asked the
guys at iBiquity to send me an HD Radio unit for evaluation. Frankly, it was
not a good experience. Of course, many believe HD Radio technology is the
savior of radio and allows radio to compete in a digital world. But I have
not been fully convinced. Radio's salvation will be the moment we return to
a commitment to entertainment and localism, industrywide.
Plus, the HD Radio Alliance believes that offering more formats on HD2s and
HD3s is a way to provide the same diverse choices listeners are getting
elsewhere. I haven't fully bought that, either.
So Am I or Am I Not a Fan of HD Radio Broadcasting?
Though I'm not convinced the strategy for the HD Radio broadcasting rollout
is the right one, I do believe that better audio fidelity, more choices, and
more services for listeners are good things. I have grown accustomed to
artist and song information with satellite radio, and I expect it from radio
now. And HD does offer song titles and artists.
So is HD a good thing for radio? It can't hurt and might help. And, since
radio groups have converted almost 2,000 stations, and since more
manufacturers have committed to HD Radio products, it's not going away.
So Why Hasn't HD Taken Off, Eric?
I believe the biggest issues have to do with the need for an argument so
powerful that every consumer will want to go out and get one. I also believe
expense has been a problem. Most of the HD Radio units I've seen are
expensive.
Of course, people don't just go out and change their car radios on a whim.
It usually happens when they buy a new car. And I'm not sure consumers have
been sufficiently persuaded to invest in an expensive radio just so they can
try out HD, especially when they're used to radios being fairly inexpensive.
All these issues have created a slow start -- though the people at iBiquity
say that there have been over a million HD Radio units sold, and sales are
more than doubling every year.
A Wakeup Call
Recently on my blog someone said, "Eric, perhaps you should stop complaining
about others and lead this industry by taking action on your own." He was
right. Leadership is about taking action if I don't like where things are
going. It dawned on me that I need to take action to move the needle on HD.
So I started thinking.... What can I do to help HD Radio broadcasting take
off? What action can I take? How can I provide the missing leadership?
Thought Leaders
Many companies launch products quietly by identifying thought leaders,
giving them the product, and allowing the word to spread virally through
that leadership. MINI Cooper did this when it gave cool people in markets
across the U.S. MINIs to drive. When the cool people were seen in MINIs,
their friends wanted them too. The product spread virally before it was
heavily marketed.
So who are the influential thought leaders and cool people? It just so
happens that some of the most influential thought leaders in America are ...
drumroll, please ... radio people.
A Crack in the Radio Foundation
"This is easy," I thought. Since radio people are such influential thought
leaders, we should be able to start an HD movement with radio people, right?
But all those spots we ran on all those stations didn't seem to move the
needle much. What's up with that?
The more I asked around, the more I understood that there was a crack in the
foundation. Most radio people have never even experienced HD Radio
broadcasting, including most of the employees at companies that offer it.
How will we ever get a movement if the radio industry, at the grass-roots
level, can't experience HD? How likely is it that most radio people will go
drop a few hundred bucks for a desktop HD Radio receiver? Shouldn't every
DJ, every AE, every manager own an HD radio? Of course.
The Little Box That Made FM Boom
OK, I'll admit it. I was born in the dark ages, and I was around when no one
had FM radios other than home stereos (of which there were very few). But
the only FM stations were elevator music stations. When FM rock stations
started coming on the air in the late '60s and early '70s, the unique
content drove adoption (something we need to do on HD -- underground
content!). But you couldn't find FM radios to buy, and you certainly
couldn't find FM car radios. Or if you did, they were expensive. But a
little box changed everything. Audiovox came out with a $15 converter unit
($50 in today's money) that received an FM signal and put it through the AM
in your car radio. Every kid I knew had one, and that's what drove FM
adoption until FM radios became more available and less expensive. That is
what is needed for HD Radio broadcasting.
The Biggest Pitch of My Career
For all the grief I give HD Radio broadcasting, I have to admit that the
people at iBiquity are really willing to listen. Of course, they want to see
HD become a huge success. So I scheduled a call with CEO Bob Struble and
some of his top people, and I said, "I want a small, inexpensive HD Radio
receiver. My goal is to put it in the hands of every employee at every radio
station in America. I want something that is portable, something with mighty
HD sound that I can carry in my pocket, that I can listen to at the gym, and
that I can plug into my speakers or the audio jack in my car. And I want it
for under 50 bucks so every radio person can own one and experience true
HD."
(Long pause.)
"Eric, you want us to manufacture a special radio for you?" said one
executive. "Are you nuts? Do you know what it would cost to do that?"
"Yes, and I need it before Christmas. If you do this, it will be the
foundation for launching HD because radio people will have it, experience
it, embrace it, and start spreading the word like never before."
(Another long pause.)
My Biggest Sale Yet
Now, I make my living as a salesman, and I like to present bold, audacious
ideas. When I presented this, I was sure these guys would mock me, but I
persisted, and I was able to convince them to manufacture a special HD Radio
unit just for radio people. Not only that, but I convinced them to let me
create my own special design and brand.
Putting My Butt on the Line
Once I convinced iBiquity to manufacture a special radio, I realized my butt
is on the line. This strategy had better work, or I'll lose all credibility
with them, and they'll be sitting on a few carloads of special HD Radio
receivers that they can't sell elsewhere, at a cost of hundreds of thousands
of dollars. Plus, I had to act fast. Here it was September, and I had to get
my concept, design, prototype, and shipment in time for Christmas.
They said, "We can do it for Christmas in 2010, but not this year, Eric. Be
realistic." But I was especially persuasive on this matter and got my way,
and iBiquity has pulled out all the stops because they believe that an HD
Radio receiver in every employee's hands is good for HD Radio broadcasting.
The Moment of Truth
I was pacing the floor, knowing FedEx would arrive any moment with the
prototype. Would it live up to my expectations? When I opened the package,
there in front of me was a box with the logo, branding, and packaging I had
designed.
"Mighty Red: Radio Ink's Little HD Radio with Booming Sound, by Eric Rhoads"
I named the radio MIGHTY RED to make a point that this little radio had
MIGHTY BIG sound. I designed it to be RED because RED is the Radio Ink
color, and because it would be easy to find (I'm always losing little
things). Plus, these days RED is a symbol for the best of the best. In HD
video, for instance, the best video camera in the world is called RED. So
why not make my mighty little radio RED because of its awesome quality?
I carefully opened the box, pulled out the radio, charged it in a USB slot,
and took it to the gym. On the treadmill, I hit "scan," and the first HD
signal I received was KDFC in San Francisco. BOOM. The audio was amazing.
Crisp, clear, and booming. I had plugged in my $100 Sony sound-canceling
headphones, which is the standard I use to judge the audio on iPods, the
Zune, etc. The audio on this little radio was amazing.
The screen told me what station I was listening to and what song. I clicked
up to KDFC-HD2. Classic, deep cut tracks that put a smile on my face and
took me back to another day. I then went over to KFOG, which was playing a
blues tune. I cranked it up, cranked up the speed on the treadmill, and my
mind got lost in the sound. The audio was absolutely blow-me-away perfect.
All from this tiny -- and truly mighty -- little red radio. I kid you not.
This little radio is absolutely mighty and has the best small radio audio
I've ever heard in my life. It's so good I'm actually excited about it and
can't wait for you to try it.
Your Role in Radio's Future
HD Radio broadcasting isn't going away, and we can all have a hand in its
success. If you're in radio and you don't own an HD Radio unit, you simply
need to own one, need to listen to HD, need to experience it so you can fall
in love with HD audio like I did with my Mighty Red. Without the foundation
of people in the radio industry owning HD Radio receivers, we cannot expect
to convert the rest of the U.S. to HD listeners. Yet if every person working
in radio buys an HD Radio receiver, we will have the foundation we need to
influence others.
Billy Mays Would Be Shouting From His Grave
Though I'm starting to sound like the late Billy Mays pitching Magic Putty,
this is a limited production run. (I wonder if he was related to Mark and
Lowry Mays.) We will not sell these in stores. The exclusive MIGHTY RED by
Eric Rhoads was made just for radio people (and your friends and family for
Christmas!) with the intent of selling out rapidly. Plus, I convinced the
people at iBiquity to create this radio and offer it at a special price of
$35, which makes it affordable for every person in radio. And that's
important.
How Do You Want to Feel Right Now?
When you own Mighty Red, you'll fall in love with radio all over again. I
did. The audio is that good, and the new HD2s and HD3s were playing songs I
hadn't heard on radio in years, if ever. I'm very excited about it. And, for
the first time, actually excited about HD Radio broadcasting. Now I have a
tiny portable HD unit that I can jog with (it comes with an armband holder
and headphones), plug into my car audio jack so I have HD in my car, or plug
into my stereo at home or the office for HD audio.
If you want to feel great about radio again, and feel great about HD Radio
broadcasting, buy a Mighty Red. My goal is for everyone in radio to own one,
to build a foundation for HD. If radio employees embrace HD, we will have
the launching pad for HD adoption nationwide. It starts with you.
I hope you'll consider buying my custom-designed Mighty Red HD Radio
receiver and consider it for Christmas gifts for your friends, clients, etc.
Please do it today. There may not be another chance if we sell out today.
Click here to buy, or go to www.mightyredhd.com.
Best,
Eric Rhoads
Radio Ink
PS: These radios have just arrived on the shores of the U.S. and will be
released from U.S. Customs at any moment. You cannot buy an equivalent HD
Radio receiver at this price anywhere. This is a special offer for the radio
industry only, and once our shipment is gone, there will be no more.
SMS
This is the Insignia NS-HD01 in a different color, at an admittedly
lower price than what Best Buy charges.
Wait for a portable that includes AM as well.
Everyone wants HD capability, but this is not the device to give it to you.
HD Radio Farce
transparent attempt by iBiquity to pull a credibility grab by
recruiting the editor of Radio Ink. After Rhodes and The Stroob huddle
about how to - please!! - get some more HD radios in circulation, Eric
cobbles up this "hey, you can believe me, because I'm an HD skeptic"
line, iBiquity gets the Chinese to crank out a thousand or so cheapy
copies of the Insignia portable (FM only!) and - splat - there you go.
See, the translation from HD-speak to English: "How can I provide the
missing leadership?" = Please help us sell a few @#xx*& HD Radios and
we'll write you a check, since your magazine is slimmer than Karen
Carpenter these days and you're as desperate as we are. "Almost a
million HD units sold" = pick a number anywhere from 30 to 40% of
that, with half of those returned as defective at retail. "2000
stations converted" = installs have stalled at around 1400 FM and 250
AM, with most of the latter only HD during daylight, and actually more
stations are turning HD OFF than are starting new installs. As is
always the case; truth is the first casualty of HD Radio, and now Eric
Rhodes has become an accomplice after the fact. I was in the Rochester/
Henrietta BB this weekend. NOTHING HD on the shelves. Nada. Not even
the Insignia portable. Not a single Blue Shirt knew anything about HD
Radio. They looked at me like I was speaking Mandarin as I patiently
tried to explain the concept. It's more desperation from HD-land. They
have to resort to e-mail blasts from radio industry guys like Rhodes
to get a few radios out there, because all the major retailers have
left the building."
Nick Name
> "Excuse me, boys and girls, but this is nothing more than a
> transparent attempt by iBiquity to pull a credibility grab by..."
I see quote marks...but no indication as to where you ripped this off
from.
No original thought, and no response to the article presented.
HD Radio Farce
Got it from my email - can't, and won't give up my extremely valuable
sources.
RP
"HD Radio Farce" <hdradi...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:aa5b3029-5509-42fe...@s31g2000yqs.googlegroups.com...
On Nov 24, 10:20?pm, Nick Name <l...@gawab.com> wrote:
> On Nov 24, 5:02?pm, HD Radio Farce <hdradiofa...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > "Excuse me, boys and girls, but this is nothing more than a
> > transparent attempt by iBiquity to pull a credibility grab by..."
>
> I see quote marks...but no indication as to where you ripped this off
> from.
>
> No original thought, and no response to the article presented.
> Got it from my email - can't, and won't give up my extremely valuable
>Sources.
Credibility score = Zero.
HD Radio Farce
> "HD Radio Farce" <hdradiofa...@gmail.com> wrote in messagenews:aa5b3029-5509-42fe...@s31g2000yqs.googlegroups.com...
Oh, no - LMFAO!
RP
>>Oh, no - LMFAO!
Oh Yes! - LOL!