An NAB FASTROAD-Sponsored Development Program · 2011. 1. 14. · Skip Pizzi, EPG Consultant to BIA Advisory Services Broadcast Signal Lab David Maxson, Managing Partner Unique Interactive

An NAB FASTROAD-Sponsored Development Program

NAB FASTROADNAB FASTROADNAB FASTROADNAB FASTROAD

� David Layer, Program Manager and Director of Advanced Engineering, NAB

Science & Technology Department

Project Team MembersProject Team MembersProject Team MembersProject Team Members

BIA Advisory ServicesBIA Advisory ServicesBIA Advisory ServicesBIA Advisory Services

� Rick Ducey, Chief Strategy Officer

� Skip Pizzi, EPG Consultant to BIA Advisory Services

Broadcast Signal LabBroadcast Signal LabBroadcast Signal LabBroadcast Signal Lab

� David Maxson, Managing Partner

Unique InteractiveUnique InteractiveUnique InteractiveUnique Interactive

� Adrian Cross, Software Development Team Leader, Unique Interactive

25 February 2009 2The HD Radio EPG Project

Director, Advanced Engineering

NAB Science & Technology

• Mission: seek and facilitate development and commercialization of

new technologies that use radio and television broadcast spectrum

for the benefit of broadcasters

• Funded by the National Association of Broadcasters

• Oversight:

• Steering Committee – NAB Board members and NAB executive staff

• Technical Committee – NAB member engineering VPs and others

• TV projects (Art Allison, TV Subcommittee Chair)

• Radio projects (David Layer, Radio Subcommittee Chair)

• www.nabfastroad.org

25 February 2008 The HD Radio EPG Project 4


NAB FASTROAD Technology Advocacy Program – HD Radio EPG project

• HD Radio system design completed by iBiquity but no infrastructure

• How can EPG data be best managed?

• What are the options?

• Project goals:

• Identify business and functional requirements

• Identify market for field trial

• Develop EPG system architecture(s)

• Simulate and conduct field trial

• Final report

Chief Strategy Officer

BIA Advisory Services

EPG Project – Phase 1

Accomplishments:1. Business Requirements

2. EPG Architecture – preliminary

3. Field Trial Market – recommendation

4. EPG Architecture – final

EPG Project – Phase 2

Goals:1. Computer Simulation/Lab Trials

2. Field Trial

3. Final Report and Recommendations


A special thanks . . .

iBiquity Digital team is providing critical support for

all phases of this project.



Program Source

EPG Service

Bureau

Radio Station

Automation

System

Manual Input/

Other Data

Source

Transmission

Traffic System

Receiver

Listener

Internet

� Delivery architecture

� Content management

� Receiver design

� Cost & design issues

� Legal considerations

� Use cases

� Business requirements

� Industry interviews


Document Contents

EPG Consultant

BIA Advisory Services

� Unlike TV EPG, there is no existing national radio

program-schedule database

� >10x Radio vs. TV stations in U.S.

� Complexity of serving mobile receivers

� Receiver display size & capability varies widely

� Radio EPG business model required


� Parochial� Each station transmits its own EPG data only

� Shared

� Each station transmits all EPG data for market

▪ (or at least top-level EPG data from other stations)

� Master Station

� One or more stations provide market-wide EPG

� Network

� Stations transmit pointers to EPG data source(s)


� Open-architecture EPG allows “Service Bureau” approach

� Essential for any aggregated market data transmission

� Helpful even for “Parochial” model

� Data “scrubbing”

� Hierarchical display management

� Allows multi-platform delivery & scalability

� EPG-only data for Internet has value

� “Network” delivery model to future converged HD/3G/WiFi devices


� Receiver design

� UE and cost issues for EPG navigation & display

� Use cases

� How EPG might be employed by broadcasters and consumers

� Requirements

� Design considerations for receivers, system & delivery

architectures, and EPG software

� Market uniformity concerns

� Matching station coverage to market-based data


Managing Partner

Broadcast Signal Lab

� Consumers

� Radio still by accidental discovery

� Random Station/Program search

� No incentive to stay tuned to station or the medium

� EPG makes:

� Radio more convenient

� Listeners anticipate instant gratification vs. instant frustration

� Time-shifting technology possible


� Consumer Electronics Providers

� Radio is an inexpensive appliance or feature,

not a highly valued technology

� Radio does not offer apps for rich media devices

▪ Short on program info, interactivity, compelling display content

� EPG gives:

� Radios more sizzle

� Radios more relevance

� Radios more features to sell product

� Media devices more functionality


� Broadcasters

� Radio relies on forward promotion to retain audience

� Radio relies on accidental discovery to capture listeners now

� Radio relies on remotes, co-sponsorships, advertising to raise

brand awareness

� EPG makes:

� The radio medium more competitive against alternatives

� The station stickier

� The medium stickier

� Time-shifting technology possible


� EPG in Three Dimensions

� Vertical view –

Stations/Programs

� Horizontal View –

Time

� Depth View –

Richer program detail



Courtesy Radio World; background (c)iStockphoto/Viktor Gmyria

Courtesy Radio World;

background (c)iStockphoto/Viktor Gmyria

� EPG leverages radio’s advantages

� #1 – Radio broadcasting is local

� #2 – Radio broadcasting is free ▪ With purchase of a radio

▪ Or a radio-equipped device

▪ Also available on line

� #3 – Radio offers diverse content▪ EPG lays local radio out for the listener


� Radio appears as a coordinated service

� Like cable TV or satellite radio/TV

� The power of EPG is in the collective

information about all stations


� Minimize workload

� Minimize cost

� Information secure until published

� Flexibility to support format

� Consistency of user experience


Software Development Team Leader

Unique Interactive

� Central server

� Flexible data capture

� Multiple export formats


� Manage the Stations and Services

� Grant Access

� Monitor System


� Create programs and shows� Schedule using drag and drop� Richly structured descriptions


� Promote programming

� Links to related content

� Searchable by Google


� Allow listener to catch-up on missed content

� Broaden reach of your content

� Nearly impossible without an EPG system



1 2

3 4

� What we’d like to hear from you:

� How would your station use an EPG?

� What would you want to make sure the system

can do?

� What platforms would you want the EPG to

serve?

� Any other questions or comments...


� Please review Business Requirements and

Use Cases document at

www.nabfastroad.org

� Pass along to your colleagues

� Send feedback to [email protected]


HD Radio EPG Project

An NAB FASTROAD-Sponsored Development Program · 2011. 1. 14. · Skip Pizzi, EPG Consultant to BIA Advisory Services Broadcast Signal Lab David Maxson, Managing Partner Unique Interactive

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