BROADCASTERS BACK DAB, BUT SOME QUESTION QUALITY OF TESTING

NAB, like most broadcasters filing comments in FCC inquiry, fully endorsed IBOC system and test results, saying “the time is now ripe” for Commission to clearly endorse system. It called NRSC testing “rigorous” and said tests proved “it works.” Only remaining question, NAB said, is IBOC’s impact on ancillary radio broadcast services, but it said iBiquity and others already had begun testing to clear up those questions. Assuming adequate answers, NAB said FCC should announce formally that iBiquity system would be “authorized as the technology” for DAB. Other broadcasters, including Disney and Clear Channel, agreed DAB would provide good opportunity for broadcasters and chance for new services for public.

It wouldn’t be enough for FCC to endorse report on iBiquity’s DAB system, CEA said, because document itself wasn’t DAB standard: “The Commission must specify the technical parameters of the IBOC DAB signal to be transmitted by FM broadcasters in order for all receiver manufacturers to have confidence that the equipment they build will work for anyone listening to an FM IBOC DAB signal anywhere in the country.”

FCC also should “ensure that all receiver manufacturers will have fair and reasonable access to IBOC DAB technology,” CEA said, and should assure that any short-term interference issues during transition were resolved quickly. CEA also pressed Commission for requirement that broadcasters use main DAB signal for their main audio service, rather than new data or other services, saying otherwise consumers would have no reason to buy receivers.

At least some parties questioned testing procedure. Va. Center for the Public Press and Radio Free Richmond Project said test results were “subjective, and very suspect.” They said results showed 96 kbps bandwidth was inadequate for near-CD quality and said “advanced age” of test subjects made test results inaccurate: “The poor selection of neutral test subjects and the failure to include females and younger people with unimpaired high frequency hearing is testament to the very low quality of this testing work.” It said FCC should insist on “more stringent selection criteria” and suggested selection process was “transparent attempt to skew the result in favor of iBiquity IBOC.”

IBOC will cause “unknown level of impact and impairment to the existing subcarrier reception,” said International Assn. of Audio Information Services (IAAIS), whose members use radio subcarriers to deliver ancillary services. It said NRSC report didn’t provide “compelling evidence that subcarrier receivers used by blind and visually impaired listeners will be usable” if iBiquity system were adopted. NRSC report acknowledged some loss of subcarrier reception, IAAIS said. It also said there was no industrywide plan to move analog subcarriers to digital until end of “hybrid” phase of IBOC transition.

In other comments: (1) National Public Radio said IBOC could allow new services such as radio reading services, public safety services such as weather alerts, more foreign language programming, audio-on-demand using mass market receivers. However, it said IBOC “does not alleviate the need for new spectrum for radio broadcast use.” (2) Amherst Alliance said there was “feedback” indicating IBOC sideband artifact noise could cause additional interference for low- power FM stations, and said issue hadn’t been tested adequately. (3) IAAIS also said addressability of IBOC receivers made them subject to 1996 Telecom Act provisions requiring accessibility by disabled. (4) Equipment maker JVC, like most broadcasters, said FCC should formally endorse IBOC standard, saying “regulatory uncertainty… will delay any company’s commitment” to expenditures to bring receivers to market. It said “immediate” FCC action was needed to get receivers to market in 2003. (5) Transmitter maker Nautel said FCC also should announce it had stopped exploring out- of-band solutions. (6) Impulse Radio said agency should set “universal auxiliary data standards,” since current subcarrier services were “victims of Balkanization” of technologies.