Broadcasters Support HD Radio Power Boost Rule Proposal
Broadcasters told the FCC they support a proposal to let HD Radio stations increase their power levels on one of their two sidebands. NPR and iBiquity each submitted studies to the commission showing that increasing sideband power asymmetrically would let HD operators boost power without increasing interference to nearby stations (CD Nov 2 p6). Letting stations take that step will help them “provide enhanced digital coverage that is not achievable while stations are constrained to operate with equal level digital sidebands,” the NAB said (http://xrl.us/bmmhnp). Meanwhile, iBiquity submitted a lengthy lab test report supporting the proposal (http://xrl.us/bmmhp3), prompting “a daily listener of the broadcast radio service” who previously fought a 2010 order letting HD Radio station increase their power to request an extension to the pleading cycle deadlines.
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At issue is interference to nearby radio stations that operate on a channel adjacent to one of the of a digital station’s sidebands. “In many areas today, increasing digital power [symmetrically] by 10 dB (or less) would potentially cause interference to a fist adjacent signal on only one side of the subject station’s signal,” the NAB said. Letting stations boost one sideband’s power would give them increased coverage without affecting the first-adjacent channel on the other sideband, NAB said. The NPR and iBiquity reports demonstrate significant gains in improving digital reception in so-called drop-out areas, and could improve indoor reception as well, NAB said. “In short, where there is more signal power, a whole host of potential benefits accrue."
A group of 11 radio broadcasters including CBS Radio, Emmis, Entercom, Journal Broadcast Group and Radio One, and transmitter manufacturer Nautel Maine also supported the proposal, they said in jointly-filed comments (http://xrl.us/bmmhqh). “The Asymmetric Sideband Proposal is a flexible tool,” they said. It will allow “more FM broadcasters to increase HD Radio power to the maximum permissible levels, facilitating the continued rollout of HD Radio and thereby improving quality of service provided the public,” they said.
"Given the minimal modifications [to FCC rules] required, the voluntary nature of any power increase and the ability to increase digital power without causing new interference to the host analog service of that of any adjacent FM stations, we see no reason for the Commission not to authorize asymmetric sideband operation as proposed,” NPR said in its comments (http://xrl.us/bmmhqo).
Jonathan E. Hardis was the only comment-submitting party who disagreed. A self-identified individual and radio listener, Hardis asked the FCC not to authorize asymmetric operations (http://xrl.us/bmmhqu). “To the extent that the Commission has time and resources to devote to advancing IBOC digital broadcast radio, such effort would be best spent establishing the complete technical standard for this service,” he said. Separately, he asked the commission to extend the deadlines for filing comments and replies in the proceeding based on iBiquity’s filing of new data. “At present, there is scheduled a mere two-week reply comment period that includes the holidays of Christmas Day, New Year’s Day” and the surrounding holiday period, he said. “This time period does not provide a reasonable and meaningful opportunity to comment on iBiquity’s new study, as much of the public is off from work and preoccupied with family matters,” he said. “The public interest would best be served by extending the comment period, rather than merely the reply comment period, as having both comments and replies enhances the quality of information available for both commission decision and potential judicial review,” he said.