iBiquity Digital’s HD Radio Technology Named “Best Of America” By Reader’s Digest Magazine
Columbia, MD — April 12, 2006 — iBiquity Digital Corporation’s HD Radio technology has been named to the annual “Best of America” list by the editors of Reader’s Digest magazine. This celebration of the quirky, amazing and truly extraordinary is featured in the magazine’s May issue (on newsstands April 18) and is now available online at www.rd.com/boa.
Each year Reader’s Digest speaks with hundreds of experts and ‘ordinary folk’ to create its America’s 100 Best list. In this year’s list, HD Radio appears in the Entertainment category under the title “Best Sound on Demand”, with the entry specifically citing the technology’s “super-clear sound.”
“Reader’s Digest is widely recognized as an icon of the publishing industry, a fact that makes this acknowledgment an especially great honor,” said Bob Struble, President and CEO of iBiquity Digital. “With 80 million monthly readers worldwide, the appearance of HD Radio on Reader’s Digest’s 100 Best list is sure to introduce many consumers to the technology and, for those who are already familiar with it, help underscore its innovative qualities.”
There are more than 750 AM and FM stations in the U.S. now broadcasting with digital HD Radio technology, with an additional 2,000-plus stations in the process of upgrading to the HD Radio system. HD Radio technology works by transmitting digital audio and data alongside existing AM and FM analog signals, allowing listeners to enjoy dramatically improved sound quality, while virtually eliminating the static and hiss often associated with analog radio.
Beyond delivering superior sound, the technology provides a platform for advanced new services, including HD2 multicasting – a feature that enables FM stations to broadcast multiple streams of unique programming over a single frequency, independent of existing analog signals. HD2 multicast programming is currently available on approximately 200 FM stations around the country. HD Radio technology also allows for data services to be delivered directly to receivers, such as text scrolled across the product displays (e.g., artist names & song titles, local weather forecasts, and traffic alerts). There are no subscription fees associated with HD Radio, though consumers do need to purchase an HD Radio receiver to experience the benefits of digital broadcasting.
About iBiquity Digital
iBiquity Digital Corporation is the sole developer and licenser of digital HD Radio technology, the only digital broadcast system approved by the FCC for AM and FM radio in the U.S. iBiquity Digital’s investors include 15 of the nation’s top radio broadcasters, including ABC, Clear Channel and CBS Radio; 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, and Warren, NJ. For more information please visit: www.ibiquity.com.
About Reader’s Digest
Reader’s Digest reaches about 80 million readers worldwide each month. The magazine celebrates ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and delivers a compelling mix of humor, personal service and other human-interest stories. Reader’s Digest is published in 20 languages and 50 editions worldwide.
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