Monday, March 19, 2007

NAB Now Thinks They Know The Satellite Business

March 19, 2007

Oh My!!!!!

The NAB now cites a study that says that the merged satellite radio companies would not be able to offer more programming!!!!

From The NAB: SSG Comments in RED

WASHINGTON, DC -

A proposed merger between XM and Sirius would not allow existing satellite radio customers to have access to more programs than they have now without buying a new satellite radio, according to a NAB-commissioned study prepared by the consulting engineering firm of Meintel, Sgrignoli & Wallace (MSW).

So this survey was paid for by who?????? Oh Yea....the NAB. I wonder what the results will show.

An article in today's The Washington Post ("Radio Deal Could Face Technical Difficulties") also highlights many of the technical challenges to be faced by the satellite radio companies who, according to industry experts cited in the article, are "straining their systems' transmission capacities even before they try to add each other's content."

Did you know that there is something called Modulation Overlay, or Hierarchical Modulation (HM)???? Did you know that Sirius implemented it in the fall????? Did you know XM will also be getting something similar up and running?????

Released today, the MSW study emphasizes the significant technical differences between the two satellite systems, which prevent Sirius radios from receiving programming from XM satellites, and vice versa. In addition, the study shows that the two satellite systems cannot be expanded to fit in more channels beyond their current level without incurring loss of audio quality. Some of the specific facts highlighted in the study include:

MSW.....did you look at the specs of the systems? Do you understand HM? Do you understand statistical multiplexing?

• The bandwidths, bit rates, data structures, and digital audio coding algorithms of these two systems are completely different, making it impossible for existing, dedicated XM and Sirius transmission and reception equipment to interoperate;

True, they are not talking about interoperability with existing equipment.

• The data capacities of both the XM and Sirius systems are filled with programming and significant spare capacity is not available. Expanding the number of program offerings on either the XM or Sirius platforms through more aggressive digital compression would result in degradation of audio quality unacceptable to consumers;

Can you please cite your statistics, or are you simply making an assumption???? Oh, and I must ask again......did you consider HM?????

• Taking a program channel from one system and adding it to the other would likely require incumbent program channels to be removed on a one-for-one basis to make room for the new program channels.

Look at the duplicity....69 music channels, duplicitous news channels, duplicitous sports channels. The statement that a channel would "likely" need to be removed does not seem like you are very sure of your opinion here.

The report also notes that, as a condition of their original license, the satellite radio operators were required to deliver designs for interoperable radios. As of today, no radio that is interoperable between both systems has ever been made commercially available.

So, I think you would agree that they have indeed designed an interoperable radio. Now, if you could be so kind as to point out where the FCC required that it be commercially available I would be most appreciative.

To read the complete MSW report, click here.
About NABThe National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association that advocates on behalf of more than 8,300 free, local radio and television stations and also broadcast networks before Congress, the Federal Communications Commission and the Courts. Information about NAB can be found at http://www.nab.org/.

Labels: merger, nab, sirius, xm