NAB FASTROAD’s HD RadioTM Electronic Program Guide Project Moves to Field Trial

CHANTILLY, Va.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--A field trial of an HD Radio™ Electronic Program Guide (EPG) ecosystem for AM and FM radio broadcasting is now underway in the Boston, Massachusetts radio market. This field trial is being conducted as part of an NAB FASTROAD project to develop the business requirements, system architecture and specifications of an EPG—an interactive, on-screen guide to scheduled broadcast programming—suited to the HD Radio market for local broadcasters. Stations from the markets adjacent to Boston including Worcester, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island will also be involved, showing how an HD Radio EPG can serve listeners as they travel.

“We have been working very closely with the expert team assembled by the NAB throughout this program and look forward to continuing to offer broadcasters new and exciting capabilities as they expand their HD Radio programming and services.”

BIA Advisory Services and Broadcast Signal Lab are the managers for this FASTROAD project. Unique Interactive has been contracted to develop EPG service bureau and client software, not only for the HD Radio platform but also for mobile and web browsers. Consumer electronics manufacturer Cydle Corp has joined the project as a partner and is developing a HD Radio device with EPG capabilities.

Given the fast pace at which the broadcast industry is embracing Internet streaming and broadband-based mobile services, EPG has extended its plans to include Web access and a mobile application demonstration on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

NAB FASTROAD is the technology advocacy program of the National Association of Broadcasters. Its mission is to seek and facilitate development and commercialization of new technologies that can be exploited by broadcasters using radio and television broadcast spectrum. The NAB FASTROAD website is www.nabfastroad.org.

Numerous HD Radio broadcasters have agreed to participate in the trial, including stations owned by Greater Media, Clear Channel, CBS, Emerson College and the University of Massachusetts. Other stations are expected to join the trial as it progresses.

Rick Ducey, BIA Advisory Services’ chief strategy officer, commented, “Our primary goal in moving to the field is to give broadcasters practical experience working on the care and feeding of EPG data for their HD Radio services, and to establish a functioning service bureau for cooperative EPG management. We want to enable broadcasters to enhance the listener experience by providing valuable program information on user-friendly devices.”

Broadcast Signal Lab’s managing partner David Maxson explained, “This trial will provide an excellent EPG obstacle course. These three markets will challenge the EPG delivery models because they represent the breadth of market sizes across the nation, are geographically very close to one another, and have numerous HD Radio stations, most of which offer multicast program channels. We are looking forward to taking EPG out for a good run.”

iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer of digital HD Radio technology for AM and FM audio and data broadcasting, is contributing substantial ongoing support for the project by sharing its know-how with the project team, to achieve FASTROAD project objectives. iBiquity has also built a set of EPG-capable receivers specifically for the field trial so participating broadcasters can monitor their transmissions the same way users would see the EPG data on future consumer receivers. “iBiquity is very pleased to see the FASTROAD HD Radio EPG project move into the field trial phase,” said Joe D’Angelo, Vice President of Advanced Services. “We have been working very closely with the expert team assembled by the NAB throughout this program and look forward to continuing to offer broadcasters new and exciting capabilities as they expand their HD Radio programming and services.”

For this trial, Cydle Corp will incorporate EPG functionality into the Cydle, its new HD Radio device. Alex Kim, CEO of Cydle Corp said, “Cydle Corp is very excited to be part of the HD Radio EPG field trial under the auspices of the NAB FASTROAD technology project and demonstration. We have been a strong supporter of HD Radio technology; with our technical expertise in the consumer electronics space, we look forward to build and deploy HD Radio receiver devices capable of such advanced features as the EPG.”

Milford Smith, Vice President of Engineering of Greater Media, Inc., and chairman of the National Radio Systems Committee, which developed the NRSC-5 Standard for digital radio broadcasting, said, "Greater Media is excited to participate in the EPG trial because it is a prime example of how digital HD Radio technology is evolving to provide a more rewarding experience for the radio listener."

The EPG consortium invites comments on its work to date. Interested parties can review the consortium's initial conclusions in the document at http://www.nabfastroad.org/NAB_FASTROAD_EPG_Final.pdf, and provide comment to rducey@bia.com.

About BIA Advisory Services

BIA Advisory Services, LLC, a subsidiary of BIA Financial Network, provides research, data, analysis, and financial and strategic consulting to media, telecommunications, technology, directory publishing and local search companies. BIA Advisory Services includes: The Kelsey Group, experts in traditional and online local media and advertising; BIA Research, providers of competitive and comparative market information and analysis through data services, specialized reporting, engineering studies and mapping; and BIA Consulting, specialists in business intelligence and corporate growth strategy, and the nation's leading communications appraisal and valuation firm. Additional information is available at www.bia.com. BIA's blog is located at http://blog.bia.com/bia/, and the company can be found on Twitter through http://twitter.com/BIAfn.

About Broadcast Signal Lab

Broadcast Signal Lab provides a full range of broadcast engineering services from FCC application engineering, through facility design & construction, to continuing signal quality monitoring & maintenance; including migration to digital broadcasting. BSL is a member of the National Radio Systems Committee and is actively involved in the science, standardization and innovation in digital terrestrial radio broadcasting. BSL's managing partner, David Maxson, wrote The IBOC Handbook, published by Focal Press, which lays out the entire structure of this digital transmission system. See www.broadcastsignallab.com for additional information.

About iBiquity Digital Corporation

iBiquity Digital Corporation is the developer of HD Radio™ technology, which is fueling the digital radio revolution in the United States and around the world. The digital technology enables broadcasters to offer new FM channels through multicasting, crystal-clear sound and data services on both the AM and FM bands – all free, with no subscription fees. Leading broadcasters, consumer electronics manufacturers, automakers and retailers are committed to HD Radio technology. The only digital broadcast system approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for AM and FM radio in the U.S., HD Radio technology is now being used by nearly 2,000 stations with an additional 1,000 plus new HD2/HD3 channels available across the country.

Nearly 100 unique HD Radio products are available from well-known brands in more than 14,000 retail outlets across the country. And the HD Radio system is gaining momentum in the automotive industry with 13 brands committed to factory-install the technology in their vehicles: Audi, BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercedes, Mercury, Mini, Scion, and Volvo.

About Unique Interactive

Unique Interactive is all about digital radio & interactive media technology. It supplies technology products and services to broadcasters in the UK and around the world. Specializing in data services for broadcasters, it supplies systems that integrate with existing technology, adding extra value to broadcasts and creating solid revenue opportunities. Unique Interactive currently supplies DLS display text services to nearly 50% of UK broadcasters and has provided EPG services to Canada, Australia and Korea, while supplying the UK market with EPG services for over three years. It is a market leader in broadcast data service provision, and an innovator in a new and emerging field of interactive radio. Unique Interactive is part of the UBC Media Group plc, a UK public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange. See www.uniqueinteractive.co.uk for more information.

About Cydle Corp

Cydle is the manufacturer of GPS and multimedia systems such as MP3 players, PMPs and Netbooks. Cydle is designed to deliver happiness to the end-user’s life through its highly advanced digital devices. Their multimedia functions maximize performance and usage and minimize the learning curve so everyone can use Cydle products easily. With its up-to-date technology, Cydle will entertain customers both inside and outside of their cars. Cydle will launch its T43H (Portable GPS car navigation with HD Radio™ Technology) to the market in 3Q 2009.

Keyword Tags:

NAB FASTROAD, Electronic Program Guide, HD Radio, radio, BIA Advisory Services, Broadcast Signal Lab, iBiquity Digital Corporation, Rick Ducey, David Maxson