$200 million for promoting HD Radio

The HD Radio Alliance, which is the broadcast radio industry’s coalition to promote HD Radio, announced yesterday that they will spend $200 million this year in advertising on 250 radio stations in 12 major markets to educate consumers on the value of HD Radio.

Peter Ferrara, CEO of the HD Radio Alliance, pointed to broad support from "from receiver manufacturers, retailers and automakers," whose cooperation is crucial to the roll-out of the new product.

Bob Struble, CEO of iBiquity, the developer of HD Radio (and a company that I am an investor in and on the board of) is quoted in the article linked above as forecasting "HD radios costing less than $100 in the near future".

I’ve been saying this for a while now.  HD Radio is gaining momentum.  The two big things that have to happen is consumer education and low cost radios in the market.  It looks like both are going to happen in 2006.

#VC & Technology