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Consumers On Future HD Radio Displays: Nearly 90 % Prefer “Expanded Band”
According to a qualitative research study conducted in the past 30 days, almost nine out of ten consumers would prefer seeing HD radio supplemental stations displayed as “expanded bands” instead of “layered bands.”
In the national study, conducted by Bob Harper & Company and funded by Cox Radio, consumers in 12 separate focus groups were asked to discuss two possible options to display new radio stations addresses made possible by HD technology. One option would have new station addresses appear on an expanded FM band above 107.9 (i.e. new HD stations would appear as 108.1, 108.3 or 108.5). Another option would have new stations appear under existing radio stations in a layered band (i.e. new stations would appear as 98.5 HD-2, 98.5 HD-3 or 98.5 HD-4).
In each of the focus groups, consumers overwhelming preferred the expanded band approach of displaying new HD radio stations. The combined results of the focus groups showed that 136 of the 156 (or 87.2 percent) respondents chose the expanded band approach over the layered approach.
“This is a somewhat unusual result from focus groups in general,” said Bob Harper. “An overwhelming percentage of respondents chose the expanded band over the layered approach. In fact, in four of the sessions, the scores were 12-0, 13-0, 13-0 and 13-0 in favor of the expanded band. Typically in a focus group setting – where there is a lot of open dialogue and give-and-take – respondents often can see the positives in more than one alternative; especially as they hear the pros and cons of one option over another. But there was very little equivocation in our three cities.”
“These findings were so conclusive that broadcasters and equipment manufacturers would only ignore them at their peril,” Harper added.
“As the industry moves aggressively to launch HD radio, it is important that radios manufactured in the future be consumer friendly and clearly display the many new exciting stations that will come online with HD technology,” said Bob Neil, CEO of Cox Radio, Inc. in explaining the rationale for the consumer research. “We realize that while the first radios that will be available for consumers to purchase will have the layered display, we believe that the industry, working closely with receiver manufacturers, will use this research to develop an orderly transition plan to the expanded band as the HD radio receiver evolves and develops.”
Bob Harper has been invited to present the results of this study at the next National Radio Standards Committee meeting in January 2006 at the Consumer Electronics Show in
Las Vegas.
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