The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that seeks public input on the topic of digital FM radio broadcasts.
Specifically, federal regulators are weighing whether to allow low-power and full-digital FM radio stations to increase the power of their HD Radio signals in an effort to spur adoption of the technology and reach more listeners.
HD Radio includes technology that is proprietary to Xperi Corporation, which licenses the standard to AM and FM radio stations that want to offer multiplex digital radio channels alongside their standard analog signal.
While HD Radio has seen some adoption in cars and trucks, there are few handheld and portable radios on the market capable of receiving digital broadcast transmissions, in part because Xperi charges electronic makers a per-device fee for incorporating various hardware and firmware…
