HD Radio Not Ready for Prime Time

According to a recent Billboard article, U.S. HD radio sales totaled about 300,000 units in 2007, with about 1 million units expected to be sold this year.  Even though some radio models have tumbled below $100, consumers aren't swallowing the pill....One reason may be the fact that there are over 13K stations, but only 8k ones with 'different or original content' for the side channels...

Also, according to a consumer survey conducted in January by Arbitron and Edison Media Research, "only 24% of respondents said they had "heard/read anything recently about HD radio," down slightly from 26% a year earlier."

If you can't win the loyalty (and wallet) of the American consumer the ol' fashioned way, well, just cheat......"As satellite broadcasters XM and Sirius await FCC approval of their proposed merger, some members of Congress have voiced support for iBiquity's request that the FCC require all new satellite receivers to include HD radio capability."  So, let me get this straight.  The service isn't compelling enough or affordable for the mass market to adopt it, so let's just force it down their throats instead?  

Video-Game Makers Are the Newest Rock Gods

Click HERE to read the an interesting article about the music industry's newest source of revenue - "While a connection between the increase in digital sales at sites like iTunes and Napster and "Guitar Hero III" isn't definitive, the evidence strongly suggests that the game played a role in the huge increase in single sales."