• by Wayne Friedman , April 10, 2008

Looking to monetize new high-definition (HD) radio technology, eight major radio companies have formed a joint venture to build a nationwide traffic network that can be piped into cars in real-time.

Beasley Broadcast Group, Bonneville International Corporation, Cox Radio, Emmis Communications, Entercom Communications Corp., Greater Media, NPR and Radio One have formed Broadcaster Traffic Consortium, which will use NAVTEQ real-time technology to provide digital maps showing real-time traffic flow situations. This information is intended to be put into automobiles' new navigation systems.

Paul Brenner, administrative agent for the consortium and vice president of Integrated Technology for Emmis, said in a statement: "Our purpose is to further accelerate consumer HD receiver penetration and create new revenue."

The group says this is the first step to move into other HD radio, allowing broadcasters to expand beyond traditional audio programming.