Broadcast Medium to Offer Better Sound and New Features

When new digital radio — or HD Radio, named after its cousin HDTV (high definition television) — comes to U.S. stores in August, it could change the whole soundscape of the nation. Formerly lower-quality AM radio will sound like stereo FM. FM will sound more like a compact disc. As local radio stations put the new service on the air, listeners with HD-equipped radio receivers can expect to hear an immediate improvement. "On AM, the improvement will be startling. On FM even listeners with 'educated ears' will have a hard time detecting the difference between HD Radio and their favorite CD," says Andy Laird of the Journal Broadcast Group. But while many stations are installing and testing the new system for between $100,000 and $500,000 apiece, some broadcasters aren't sold on the idea. HD Radio works like this: To listen to the service, consumers need new — and relatively inexpensive — radio equipment adaptable to both the HD system and old analog radio. When they tune in to a station providing the signal, at first they'll hear the old analog signal. Then, after about seven seconds, the signal switches over to HD and "the sound suddenly expands out in all directions," Laird says. Because the HD Radio signal is concealed within the AM and FM radio programming already being broadcast over local radio stations, if listeners opt not to buy the new HD radios their old ones will continue to work just fine.