In comments to the FCC, the Consumer Electronics Association urges the adoption of a single IBOC digital radio standard, saying that receiver manufacturers, broadcasters and consumers "need the certainty ... in order to have enough confidence in the long-term usefulness of IBOC digital radio equipment to invest in it."
While the lack of a codec specification in the NRSC standard for IBOC, or NRSC-5, is "not optimal," it is acceptable, said the organization that co-sponsors the NRSC along with NAB.
"While CEA would prefer that a codec be included in the specification, we note that the NRSC made its best effort toward this end and, ultimately, concluded that NRSC-5 is an appropriate standard even without an audio codec," noted CEA.