Xybernaut Corp. (fka XYBR)

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DIGITAL ERA TRANSFORMS RADIO DAYS
Issue: Radio
A look at radio's transition to digital technology and the potential of
low-power radio stations to serve communities. Concerning digital --
"Existing receivers will work in the system, because, for a period of time,
we will continue to broadcast in analog," explained William J. Casey,
director of marketing and sales for Lucent Digital Radio, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Lucent Technologies. "The stations want to do it because it
increases fidelity for the consumer; there would be the ability to license
or rent out that space on the sideband to data providers; and it is an
opportunity to provide and enhance public service, such as emergency
broadcasts. "For example, with the digital signal, if, there's a tornado, a
transmitter can send a signal out to a digital radio and literally wake it
up...it turns the radio on at a high volume and issues a warning." Digital
radio may be commercially available as soon as next year. David Bickle,
public relations manager for Lucent's New Ventures Group, said "FM will have
a near-CD-quality sound, and AM will sound like FM does today. At the same
time, you'll have the ability to receive data over the digital signal. A
radio probably will have a video display, which could show the name of the
artist, the name of the song, local traffic or weather."
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 4, p.1), AUTHOR: Gary Dretzka]
(http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,ART-29734,00.html)