Harris Corporation Brings HD Radio(TM) Technology to NPR Member Stations Across the Country
March 24 2005 - 10:01AM
PR Newswire (US)
Harris Corporation Brings HD Radio(TM) Technology to NPR Member
Stations Across the Country Stations in Markets of All Sizes
Account for Harris' 65 Percent-Plus Sales Penetration in First
Three Rounds of NPR Digital Conversions CINCINNATI, March 24
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With over 65 percent of National Public
Radio (NPR) stations selecting IBOC digital transmitters from
Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS) during the first three rounds of HD
Radio(TM) digital conversions, Harris has emerged as the clear HD
Radio market leader for NPR stations of all market sizes across the
U.S. Harris Broadcast Communications Division (BCD), the world's
largest supplier of radio equipment, is the only end-to-end
solutions provider to offer personnel dedicated solely to public
radio initiatives. This allows Harris to work closely with the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to negotiate pricing
structures that give the government-funded organization and its
separate NPR member stations the buying power of a large commercial
broadcasting group. This flexible structure and strong relationship
has resulted in Harris' ability to win the vast majority of NPR
stations' orders for IBOC digital transmitters to date, ranging
from smaller markets to the largest in the country. Similarly, the
majority of these orders include Harris' exclusive NeuStar(TM)
codec pre-conditioners to assure the best possible audio quality
for HD Radio transmissions. In recent years, Harris has worked
closely with Kenwood and with iBiquity Digital Corporation, the
sole developer and licensor of HD Radio technology, to pioneer
NPR's "Tomorrow Radio" program, a countrywide initiative designed
to leverage its implementation of HD Radio technology. Tomorrow
Radio, currently in its testing phase and awaiting FCC approval,
offers data services and secondary audio services with the
crystal-clear sound quality of HD Radio broadcasting. NPR member
stations, with their interest in cutting-edge technology and wealth
of programming for secondary services, have been on the leading
edge of HD Radio adoption. iBiquity Digital's HD Radio system
allows broadcasters to deliver pristine digital audio over FM and
AM channels, and it enables the multi-channel and data services
that make Tomorrow Radio possible. "We're transmitting HD Radio at
this time and were active during last year's Tomorrow Radio testing
phase," said Steve Shultis, director of engineering for WNYC-FM,
which is using a Harris Z16HD transmitter and NeuStar
pre-conditioning codec in its HD Radio chain. "WNYC has always had
the attitude of embracing technology that benefits our listeners
and radio in general, including the early RBDS (Radio Broadcast
Data Standard) phases in the early 1990s. Harris not only has some
of the best transmission solutions on the market, but they have
excellent technical support. When we decided to launch HD Radio,
Harris provided a cost-effective, turnkey package that included a
new exciter package to upgrade our Harris analog transmitter, a
Split-Level(TM) Combining solution and comprehensive on-site
engineering. It's a technically sound solution, bolstered by
outstanding documentation and service." Medium-sized markets
comprise a sizeable portion of Harris' NPR wins. WOSU-FM-AM, on the
campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, was the first to
transmit HD Radio in its market with the launch of its FM digital
service last year. Both stations are now transmitting HD Radio and
are active in Tomorrow Radio testing. Harris IBOC digital
transmission packages, featuring NeuStar codec pre-conditioners,
enable clear HD Radio broadcasts for both its AM and FM stations.
Dave Carwile, director for planning and initiatives at WOSU,
believes it is important for medium-market radio stations to make
the transition into the digital domain. "As a medium-market
station, we're looking as far ahead as we can see into the future
of terrestrial radio," said Carwile. "It's essential for public
radio stations of all sizes to make the digital transition before
or at the same time as commercial broadcasters. Harris has provided
strong initiatives to the public radio industry to help speed this
digital transition. WOSU has been fortunate to participate in
Tomorrow Radio testing with Harris' assistance, and as a result,
we're prepared to bring multi- channel radio into the Columbus
market once approved." Small-market NPR member stations are also
not waiting, with a growing number offering HD Radio services. One
example is WFCR-FM of Amherst, Mass., which launched its service in
November of 2004 with a Harris Z6HDS transmitter. Chuck Dube, chief
engineer, WFCR-FM, attributes the station's decision to move
forward with HD Radio services implementation to Harris' rapid
response and cost-effective transmission package. "The Z6HDS
transmitter is a stepping stone that gets our HD Radio broadcast
off the ground," said Dube. "We believe that Tomorrow Radio,
especially in smaller markets, will be driven by the public's
acceptance of HD Radio broadcasting. It's important that we stay
ahead of the competition and get our foot in the door with this
technology. For now, we're successfully simulcasting our HD Radio
service with our analog FM. The Harris DEXSTAR(R) exciter has been
essential to generating the proprietary HD Radio algorithms for our
digital audio conversion to RF, and it also takes care of matching
FM and HD Radio audio delays." "Harris is proud to have supported
NPR initiatives such as Tomorrow Radio, which provides compelling
value for radio broadcasters by enabling multiple programs and
services to be broadcast over an FM channel. This is in addition to
other technologies such as improving audio quality for broadcasts
of the Radio Reading Service for the sight impaired, which many NPR
member stations currently broadcast on FM subcarriers," said Debra
Huttenburg, vice president and general manager of Harris BCD's
Radio Broadcast Systems. "We are grateful for the confidence that
the CPB and NPR member stations have shown in our technology and
look forward to working on equally exciting initiatives in the
future." About Harris Broadcast Communications Division Harris
Broadcast Communications Division is one of four divisions within
Harris Corporation, an international communications equipment
company focused on providing assured communications(TM) services
for government and commercial customers in more than 150 countries.
One of the world's leading suppliers of broadcast technology,
Harris Broadcast Communications Division offers a full range of
solutions that support the digital delivery, automation and
management of audio, video and data. For more information, visit
http://www.broadcast.harris.com/ . HD Radio(TM) is a trademark of
iBiquity Digital Corporation. DATASOURCE: Harris Corporation
CONTACT: Martha Rapp, Harris Broadcast Communications Division,
+1-217-221-7577, or ; or Robin Hoffman, Pipeline Communications,
+1-973-746-6970, or , for Harris Corporation Web site:
http://www.harris.com/ http://www.broadcast.harris.com/
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