1000 Ways Broadcast Radio is Fighting Back Against Satellite Radio

Local radio has been taking a beating from satellite radio. But broadcast (sometimes referred to as terrestrial radio) is fighting back with a powerful weapon called HD Radio..

HD Radio is digital radio. As such, it enable a dramatic increase in sound quality. In fact, it makes AM radio sound as good as today's FM and FM sound as if you were listening to a CD.

There are already about 1000 stations across the country broadcasting HD Radio and more are adding this technology every week.

Why broadcast radio is more than competitive

The first reason why satellite radio will never replace broadcast radio is cost. SA subscription to satellite radio costs anywhere from $11 to $14 a month vs. broadcast radio which is free. There may be as many as 10 million satellite radio listeners in the U.S .but there are literally hundreds of millions of broadcast radio listeners. It's pretty hard to believe that satellite radio will ever have 100 million listeners, let alone several hundred million.

Just as important, satellite broadcasters can't deliver local information or programming. People will need their local stations for weather, traffic reports, news and to hear their favorite talk radio personalities. .

With a new concept called HD2

HD radio is digital not analog. This means it requires less spectrum ? or "radio space.". This means stations can broadcast their primary FM channel in digital and as many as four more subchannels. These subchannels, called HD2, are being used by broadcasters for new programming content. For example, one station in Chicago is broadcasting oldies of the 80s on its primary channel and hits from the 70s on its HD2 channel. The subchannels are not only free, they are expected to be commercial free for at least another year -- to compete head-to-head with satellite radio.

In short, broadcast radio is fighting back and in a way that will enrich the listening experience for all of us

For more information on HD Radio, including an explanation of the technology, as well as information, HD2 channels, and HD text messaging, be sure to go to http://www.hd-radio-home.com. You can also get detailed information on HD Radios at http://www.hd-radio-buyers-guide.com

Douglas Hanna is the publisher and webmaster of two HD Radio websites as well as the author of numerous articles on HD Radio

Satellite Radio - It's Not Your Father's Sputnik

Ever wonder how this whole satellite radio thing works? I mean, it seems to be THE thing now. Many auto manufacturers are installing satellite radio receivers in their new automobiles, and there are home and portable models available through your favorite electronics outlet. But what is it? How does it work? Why should I pay for radio?

You pay for TV, don?t you?

Once, in those long gone days of yore, cable television operators offered us television, which we had happily been receiving for free through big tree-branchy things on our roofs, for a fee. Many people scoffed at the idea of paying for 30 channels when they received four or five, gratis. Well, just look at us now ? cable TV, satellite TV, 500 channels not quite filling us up. So let?s stop asking questions about why you should pay for satellite radio, and let?s find out how the dern thing works.

Well, how does the dern thing work?

Let?s start by looking at the type of radio you are used to. AM radio broadcasts at a frequency range from 535 kilohertz (kHz) to 1700 kilohertz (1.7 MHz). FM broadcasts between 88 MHz to 108 MHz. Without getting too technical, one hertz is basically one cycle per second. So FM radio waves transmitted at 88MHz are cycling 88 million times per second. This seems like a lot, but is actually relatively slow. Slower cycles require larger antennas to transmit and to receive them. Also, radio station antennas are stationary and earthbound, and are therefore limited in range. At higher cycles, smaller antennas suffice. Cell phones range from 824 MHz to 1990 MHz (1.99GHz), depending on the type of service; this is a much faster cycle, and therefore a smaller antenna is used. Satellite radio is broadcast at 2.3 GHz, so your car or portable receiver has no trouble picking up the signal. There have also been great advances in antenna technology, which provide us with a relatively small, flat antenna rather than a dish that would have to be constantly adjusted to point toward the satellite as we drove around town picking up kids from soccer practice.

All them numbers hertz my brain.

Let?s lay megahertz and gigahertz aside for a moment. In addition to those higher frequencies, satellite radio signals come from, you guessed it, satellites. These satellites are in a geosynchronous orbit, which is an orbit that keeps the satellite always above one location on the planet, making it stationary relative to the earth. The satellite receives a digital signal from the ground station and bounces it back to us. Because the signal is digital, it can be compressed and beamed out packed full of additional data (disguised as 0?s and 1?s), and received by any satellite radio receiver tuned to the signal. Satellite radio receivers can pick up the broadcast from anywhere in the coverage area (meaning the whole US) because the satellite is orbiting at about 22,200 miles (35,000 km) above the earth, which allows for a greater dispersion of the signal. It?s analogous to water flowing from a showerhead. An inch from the showerhead, the water is a relatively tight stream. At the other end of the shower, the water sprays all over the wall, and gets on the bathroom floor, causing your wife to yell angrily about the mess. Satellite radio beams work in much the same way. The radio signal is much more widely dispersed 22,000 miles from the satellite that sent the signal.

So with satellite radio, you can listen to the same station as you drive from New York City to Los Angeles, whereas traditional radio has a range of only about 30 to 40 miles. And thanks to repeaters, or signal boosters, placed in urban areas, you can receive generally uninterrupted signals even driving through cities with large buildings and thick bridges.

Hey, that?s kind of cool!

But wait! There?s much, much more! The digital signal can carry much larger packets of data, and satellite radios are equipped with chipsets, or processors, that can decode that data. So satellite radios not only play the music, but also decode and display information containing the song title, album, artist, and genre. Satellite radio owners can also choose from hundreds of stations, which allows for specialization, just like your cable or satellite TV. In the same manner that you can get the HBO Comedy Hits of the Brahman Caste of Nepal Channel, and Tasmanian Worm Wrestling on ESPN 127, you can receive niche music, comedy, news, and sports broadcasts on your satellite radio. Pick your genre: any decade since the 40?s, Rock, Country, Urban, Jazz, Blues, Dance, Latin, World Music (e.g. Chinese, Indian, African), Classical, Kids, and even news, sports, comedy, and talk. You can also tune in to any sub-genre of the above; for example, in the Rock category you can listen to soft, heavy, classic, deep cuts, acoustic, instrumental, and even unsigned acts.

Maybe I should get me one of them there satellite radios?

Now that you know how it works, you can listen for the sheer pleasure of it - without all those nagging technical questions churning in the back of your mind. Go get you one.

Albert Medinas has developed and maintains the website Satellite Radio Galaxy, which answers the most common questions people have about Satellite Radio. Please visit us at http://www.satelliteradiogalaxy.com today.

How Satellite Radio Works And Why It Is So Popular

Radio broadcasting has grown volumes in the almost 15 years that have passed since the Untied States Federal Communications Commission made the S band (the 2.3 GH frequency) available for Digital Audio Radio Service. With an ability to broadcast with static free, high quality sound over a distance surpassing 20,000 miles, satellite radio is one of the most significant developments in the world of broadcasting since the launch of FM itself. Sirius, XM and WorldSpace, satellite radio companies, have capitalized on this technology and have brought it to the masses on a worldwide scale. But how it does satellite radio really work?

All satellite radio services have three things in common: the actual satellites, the ground repeaters, and the radio receivers. These components are used to broadcast the radio signal a customer hears after subscribing to a service. But each of these service providers (Sirius, XM and WorldSpace) utilizes a unique broadcasting system to deliver sound (radio signals) to the subscriber. For example, Sirius utilizes satellites that orbit the Earth in an oblong pattern. While this may seem irrelevant to the average listener, it's significant because Sirius' model makes it possible for satellites to reach higher in the sky and, thus, lose their signal less often than other providers do. XM, on the other hand, operates geostationary satellites that orbit the Earth in a synchronized pattern consistent with the planet's customary movements. Radio reception is attained and, to make it clearer, XM then uses a network of antennas that re-transmit the signal to avoid interruptions that have been known to occur near tall buildings, bridges or hills.

So know that we know how the radio signal itself is transmitted, when does the music get added to the mix? At the digital broadcast centers, where radio programmers are responsible for picking what song will be played when. These centers maintain music in both digital format and a CD format and often also have studio space where performers can be recorded and their sound transmitted, live. The extremely high quality sound that subscribers hear is made possible by a process called digital compression, a procedure in which algorithms (a set of rules developed to break down a problem, or process, into smaller, simpler steps) are used to squeeze as much sound as possible into the bandwidth available. Satellite radios are the only types of radios sophisticated enough to decode these signals, which is why a subscription is required and why you won't be able to access the same content through your everyday AM/FM dial. The exclusivity, quality of sound, popularity and commercial free features of satellite radio have all been key factors in making it possible for companies to offer satellite service at a reasonable price.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a iPod car accessories at www.caraccessoriesplus.com

Is Satellite Radio For You?

Well if you like to listen to music the answer is yes!

But you probably already have a radio that works quite nicely and are wondering why you might want to switch, right?

Satellite radio is a paid subscription - it works via a satellite feed so you can listen to the radio anywhere you want and there is no range restrictions so your favorite song won't become garbled with static as you drive down the road out of range. It works like satellite television, except it can travel with you. A satellite radio can go in your home, your car or you can carry it around with you. It provides crystal clear digital sound no matter where you are and is commercial free.

Satellite radio can really open up the range and choices of music. With satellite radio subscriptions, you typically have access to several music channels, which reach all genres and subgenres of music. The best providers will also provide you dozens of channels for the latest news, talk radio, and information, along with local traffic and weather forecasts and all the sports events you could want.

XM Radio is rapidly growing and services over 2 million listeners providing 68 music channels. With this satellite radio, you can get country, rap, classical, bluegrass, rock, reggae and most anything else you can imagine. IN addition, there are over 30 channels just for news , sports, talks shows and other entertainment programs that don't include music. And if that's not enough there is another couple of dozen channels that provide weather and traffic for most major cities.

If you want satellite radio you will need a reciever and antennae to pick up the satellite feed. This equipment is state of the art, and the best subscription services also offer AM and FM as well as CD accessibility. Satellite radio can be set up to work with your existing home entertainment system, in your car or as a portable that you can bring with you.

Some of the new satellite radios and receivers are quite small and lightweight and good for carrying around. All satellite receivers will conveniently display the channel, song title, and artist name. If it's a sporting event, they abbreviations for each team will be shown so you can find that game you are looking for instantly instead of having to wait until the announcer mentions one of the teams.

Of course, satellite radio is perfect for listening to in the car since you won't have to fiddle with tuning knobs or try to find a new station as you drive out or range of what you are listening. Coneniently, many new cars are coming equipped with satellite radio service and even offer it free for 30 days. Don't worry, though if you don't want to pay for the service after your trial is up, your radio receiver will still work with the usual AM and FM channels.

Lee Dobbins writes for a2z-satellite where you can find more about satellite services including satellite tv, radio and internet.