stephen hill : spatial relations: HD is DOA

Stephen Hill looks at the shortcomings of HD Radio as compared to other emerging technologies: "Of the major usage trends that are driving the growth of Internet radio -- new 'long tail' niche and alternative content, on-demand delivery, user-created content, podcasting (subcriptions and portability), and time-shifting -- only time-shifting is even doable with HD, and then only in a relatively crippled way due to memory and interface constraints. Even this undermines the one incontestable advantage of conventional radio: ease of use." UPDATE: Dennis Haarsager chips in: "If 'HD' is going to work, we need patience, some advanced features beyond the ones we now have that are implied in the mark-up language, some smart business thinking about multicasting and PAD features -- and some luck. Oh, and a better name."

Jake Shapiro on listener support for new media

Jake Shapiro ponders the place of voluntary financial support in a new-media environment: ". . . [E]ven if the underwriting revenue does the trick, I think there's something important to continue and to redefine in the invitation for voluntary support."

Salt Lake Tribune - Public radio station manager earns $179,815 as company loses money

KCPW-FM in Salt Lake City ran a $609,366 deficit in fiscal year 2005 while paying its General Manager Blair Feulner $179,815, reports the city's Tribune. The sale of an unused license covered the losses and also paid Feulner and his wife a bonus of $895,000, the paper says.

Profile 2006

Impress your friends at parties this summer with your encyclopedic knowledge of NPR's Profile 2006! Tell them over hors d'oeuvres what percentage of NPR listeners play bingo (2.83 percent)! While smoking a fine cigar, let drop that 29.32 percent of NPR listeners have bought underwear in the last year. You'll be the toast of the town. Now get reading!