SANYO, USA Digital Radio Form Strategic Alliance
12 April 2000
SANYO, USA Digital Radio Form Strategic Alliance; SANYO Looks to Bring Near CD Quality AM and FM Radio to Consumers
LAS VEGAS--April 11, 2000--In a major step toward bringing Americans consumer electronics with radio broadcasts of near CD-quality sound and clarity, USA Digital Radio, Inc., owned by the nation's largest radio broadcasters and other media and investment companies, and SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. announced they had signed a joint technology and marketing development agreement.Under the agreement, USA Digital Radio, Inc., a digital broadcast technology company, based in Columbia, Md., and SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., a global consumer electronics giant, have agreed to further the implementation of In-Band On-Channel (IBOC) Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) or iDABTM. The companies will work together to implement a receiver business development and technology transfer process.
"SANYO is a worldwide leader of consumer electronics, developing products which cut across various radio segments including mobile, home entertainment, and portable," said Robert J. Struble, president and chief executive officer, USA Digital Radio, Inc. "We are pleased to have SANYO as a valued member of our growing alliance to bring digital AM and FM radio services to the U.S. and international markets."
"As a leading producer of home, mobile, and portable electronics, SANYO is pleased to announce its participation in USA Digital Radio's iDAB development activities," said Tateo Toyama, general manager for SANYO Electric Co, Ltd. "SANYO and USA Digital Radio will work together to transfer the iDAB technology while exploring the development of digital audio broadcast products, products which will enhance the consumer listening experience and provide growth opportunities for audio retailers and automobile manufacturers."
iDAB is a broadcasting technology that uses the current radio spectrum to transmit existing AM and FM analog simultaneously with new high-quality digital signals. iDAB is designed to provide a unique opportunity for broadcasters and listeners to convert from analog to digital radio without service disruption while maintaining current dial positions of existing stations. Listeners who purchase digital radios would receive their favorite radio stations with superior sound quality free from static, hiss and noise, and with reduced interference. Additionally, listeners would have the capability to receive expanded auxiliary data services, such as station and program content, stock and news information, local traffic and weather, email and Internet access, and more.
About SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. is a global consumer electronics giant, while also leading the way in innovations that are expanding multimedia product technology. SANYO continues to advance business enterprise development, supplying world-class electronic products to satisfy rapidly evolving markets. SANYO's businesses cover a broad range of multimedia & information systems, home appliances, commercial equipment, electronic devices, batteries and other products. SANYO's net sales in fiscal 1999, ended in March 31, 1999, amounted to 1,818.2 billion yen (US$15,151 million). The SANYO group is truly an international organization, consisting of about 150 affiliates employing over 110,000 persons globally. For further information, visit SANYO Electric's homepage at URL http://www.sanyo.co.jp
About USA Digital Radio, Inc.
USA Digital Radio (www.usadr.com) is developing and marketing an IBOC DAB technology, called iDABTM, for AM and FM radio. Owners of USA Digital Radio include thirteen of the nation's largest radio broadcasters, and other prominent media and investment companies: ABC, Inc., New York ; Allbritton New Media, Washington, D.C.; AMFM, Inc., Dallas, Texas ; Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc., Naples, Fla. ; Bonneville, Salt Lake City; CBS Corporation, New York ; Chase Capital Partners, New York, an affiliate of Chase Manhattan Corporation ; Citadel Communications Corporation, Las Vegas ; Clear Channel Communications, San Antonio ; ComVentures, Geneva, Switzerland; Cox Radio, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia ; Cumulus Media, Inc., Milwaukee ; DB Capital Partners, New York; Emmis Communications, Indianapolis ; Entercom Communications Corporation, Bala Cynwyd, Pa. ; Flatiron Partners, New York; Gannett Company, Inc., Arlington, Va. ; Grotech Capital Group, Timonium, Md.; Harris Corporation, Melbourne, Florida ; Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation, Dallas ; H & Q Venture Associates, San Francisco; J. H. Whitney & Co., Stamford, Conn.; J&W Seligman, New York; Radio One, Inc., Lanham, Md. ; Regent Communications, Inc., Covington, Ky. (NSADAQ:RGCI); Riggs Capital Partners, Washington, D.C.; Saga, Grosse Pointe, Mich. (AMEX: SGA); TI Ventures, Dallas; Waller-Sutton Media Partners, New York; and Williams, Jones & Associates, New York.
USA Digital Radio's efforts include development agreements with several outside parties including Xetron Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio; Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS), Erlangen, Germany; BittWare Research Systems, Concord, New Hampshire; Nautel Limited, Nova Scotia, Canada; QEI Corporation, Williamstown, New Jersey; Broadcast Electronics, Quincy, Ill.; Kenwood Corporation, Tokyo, Japan; Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas; Continental Electronics Corporation, Dallas, Texas; Andrew Passive Power Products, Gray, Maine; Energy-Onix, Valatie, New York; Orban, San Leandro, Calif.; Shively Labs, Bridgton, Maine; Telos Systems/Cutting Edge, Cleveland, Ohio; Digital Radio Express, Milpitas, Calif.; Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), Norwood, Mass., Armstrong Transmitter, Marcellus, NY; Dielectric, Raymond, Maine; Jampro RF Systems, Sacramento; and Moseley, Santa Barbara, Calif.; and SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan.