FMQB: Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!MMTC Wants All Radio On Satellite ReceiversDecember 11, 2008
The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) has filed comments with the FCC, which is asking for opinions on interoperable satellite radio receivers. The MMTC believes that satellite radio receivers should also offer access to AM, FM and HD Radio and according to reports, believes that minority owners are working at a disadvantage in the radio broadcasting world. Minority broadcasters missed out on owning major signals years and are left with access to lesser signals, "“especially AMs with weak technical facilities."
The MMTC wrote, "By requiring satellite radio receivers to include reception capability that provides a seamless scan of analog AM and FM, HD Radio and SDARS, the Commission would ameliorate this historic residue of spectrum inequality by eliminating listeners’ perception that AM radio is a separate and unequal service."
The Council believes that "without such a requirement, Sirius XM could use its satellite monopoly in the marketplace, the cost savings generated from the merger, and its relationships with equipment manufacturers and retailers to retard the growth of terrestrial services."
I do agree that terrestrial services are retarded, but the rest I don't like. Can you imagine the size of this unit? Does HD Radio even make a portable version? I assume they are also looking at requiring HD radios to have SatRad capabilities? Right??? If they are concerned about their AM stations, why are they including HDRadio?