By WILSON ROTHMAN	Email this article to a friend

April 7, 2003

PHOTO COURTESY OF KENWOOD    Kenwood HD Radio Tuner   Suggested Retail: $160 - $200   www.kenwoodusa.com

HD Radio
First there was Internet radio, then came satellite radio. Now there is — or soon will be — HD Radio, launched by iBiquity Digital. Much like HDTV, HD Radio is blasted onto the airwaves using the same towers that analog radio broadcasters use. The difference is, AM radio will now have the clearer stereo properties of FM radio, while FM will have CD-quality sound. Static will go away (although, as in all radio technology, dead spots will remain). Since the signal is digital, text and image metadata could also be stored in the broadcast for a more interactive experience — not just track information, but local weather, traffic and news info.

In January, iBiquity announced that 40 markets — varying in size from New York City to Ft. Wayne, IN — would have HD Radio stations sometime this year. The FCC has put its big stamp of approval on the format, and heavies like ABC, Viacom and Clear Channel are investing and rolling out the technology. Of course, to decode the new digital signals, you'll need a special radio or receiver. iBiquity's hardware partners include Kenwood, Visteon, Alpine, Delphi, Harman Kardon, JVC and Sanyo. One of the first receivers will be Kenwood's HD Radio tuner add-on (KTC-HR100) for Kenwood car-audio systems.

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