For Immediate Release
HD RadioTM Rollout Gains Momentum with 500+ Stations On-Air with Coverage in All Top 50 Markets – and beyond
Stations Increasingly Using HD Radio’s Multicasting Capabilities to Deliver Consumers New and Expanded Content
PHILADELPHIA – National Association of Broadcasters Radio Show – September 21, 2005 – There are now over 500 AM and FM stations across the country broadcasting with HD Radio technology. Stations serving every one of the top 50 U.S. markets are now providing listeners with digital HD Radio coverage, including: Detroit (21 stations on the air), Los Angeles (19), Chicago (19), Atlanta (18), Miami (16), Boston (15), San Francisco (15), and New York City (14).
Responding to the rising demand for more music, news and information, radio broadcasters have also embraced HD Radio’s multicasting capabilities as a way to offer consumers new channels of unique programming on the same station frequency. Several of the largest U.S. radio broadcasters have already launched multicast channels featuring brand extensions and diverse formats such as classical music, dance music, and local music. Many more stations are expected to include multicast channels in the coming months as this trend generates great interest and enthusiasm from both broadcasters and consumers.
“This has been a breakthrough year in the rollout of HD Radio technology. Broadcasters are converting stations at a pace of more than one per day as they ramp up efforts to market and promote the technology to consumers,” said Robert Struble, president and CEO of iBiquity Digital Corporation. “And the emergence of multicasting as the system’s first killer application has been critically important. There are now stations from Philadelphia to Seattle broadcasting additional streams of content to complement the programming on their main channels.”
Additional 2005 developments that have contributed to the momentum of the HD Radio rollout include:
– BMW announced that it will be the first auto manufacturer to offer an HD Radio receiver as a factory installed option in 2006
– Twenty-three (23) of the leading broadcast groups made commitments to convert more than 2,000 stations to HD Radio technology
– NPR, Westwood One, and the Jones Radio Networks all announced new feeds of music and news programming tailored to broadcasters seeking content for their multicast channels
– HDRadioPlaybook.com was launched to provide broadcast executives and station personnel the tools they need to promote HD Radio and educate listeners on the system’s new services
– In 2005, HD Radio receiver products are currently or will shortly be available from: ADA, Alpine, Boston Acoustics, DaySequerra, Eclipse, JVC, Kenwood, Panasonic, Radiosophy, Rotel, Sanyo and Yamaha.
About iBiquity Digital
iBiquity Digital is the sole developer and licenser of HD Radio technology in the U.S. HD Radio is transforming today’s AM and FM radio stations to digital, enabling radically upgraded sound, crystal-clear reception, multicasting and advanced data services such as real-time traffic updates. Over 2,500 radio stations in the U.S. are in the process of converting to the HD Radio system with more than 500 HD Radio broadcasters currently on the air. iBiquity Digital’s investors include 15 of the nation’s top radio broadcasters, including ABC, Clear Channel and Viacom; leading financial institutions, such as Grotech Capital Group, J.P. Morgan Partners, New Venture Partners, Pequot Capital and J&W Seligman; and strategic partners Ford Motor Company, Harris, Texas Instruments and Visteon. Named one of Deloitte’s Fast 500 Companies, iBiquity Digital is a privately held company with operations in Columbia, MD, Detroit, MI, Belmont, CA and Warren, NJ. For more information please visit: www.ibiquity.com.
