HD Radio viaggia in Ford (verso la fama?)

Colpo grosso per i promotori di HD Radio negli Stati Uniti. Ford ha annunciato la disponibilità di autoradio HD (IBOC) come opzione installabile presso i concessionari di quasi tutti i modelli Ford, Lincoln e Mercury venduti nel 2008. Le autoradio digitali possono essere installata anche su molti dei modelli realizzati dal 2005 al 2007. Questo il comunicato ufficiale Ford.

FORD TO MAKE HD DIGITAL RADIO AVAILABLE ACROSS NEARLY ALL PRODUCT LINE

• Dealer-installed option available nationwide on nearly every 2008 model year Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle.
• HD Digital Radio™ can be installed on most currently-owned vehicles built in model years 2005, 2006 and 2007.
• Ford’s high-definition radio strategy builds on company's effort to be among the industry’s leaders in delivering new automotive entertainment technologies.

Contemporaneamente, la HD Digital Radio Alliance replica, secondo FMQB a uno studio di Paragon Media che attribuiva un indice di notorietà del 42% al prodotto HD Radio (solo 4 consumatori su 10 conoscerebbero la radio digitale IBOC) contro livelli di quasi il 90% per radio satellitare e Internet radio. Secondo le proprie fonti, afferma l'Alleanza, la awareness su HD Radio sarebbe vicina all'80%. Se è così, le vendite tardano a concretizzarsi. Certo che con Ford di mezzo...

HDital Radio Alliance Responds To Awareness Study With New Results
September 26, 2007

The HD Digital Radio Alliance has responded to Paragon Media's study of HD Radio awareness. According to Paragon's results, only 42 percent of those surveyed were aware of HD Radio. The Alliance's study, conducted earlier this month by Critical Mass Media, found that now 77 percent of radio listeners are aware of HD Radio.
Additionally, 31 percent of radio listeners surveyed are interested in HD Radio. In reference to Paragon's methodology, the Alliance notes that "unlike other research done with on-line polls which tend to be unreliable, this telephone interview study was carefully balanced across all age and sex demographics and screened accordingly."
"This study clearly shows the significant momentum HD Radio continues to build on a real-time basis," said Peter Ferrara, President/CEO of the HD Digital Radio Alliance. "Programming variety, less talk and fewer interruptions are helping to drive awareness and interest as a whole. Although, we still have work to do in increasing consumer awareness and interest, HD Radio has clearly grown exponentially the past year."