Eight radio companies of different sizes and varieties have joined together to form the Broadcaster Traffic Consortium. Think of it like the Superfriends of yesteryear, but replace the super powers with a lot more boring. The group's goal is to utilize the digital radium spectrum—the one currently being used (sparingly) for HD Radio—for traffic and mapping information. Doing so could help monetize HD Radio, which is severely lacking on the funds.
The group consists of Beasley Broadcast Group, Bonneville International, Cox Radio, Emmis Communications, Entercom Communications, Greater Media, National Public Radio and Radio One.
The group is working with mapping giant, NAVTEQ, to include traffic and digital maps in the HD Radio spectrum. HD Radio has never really gotten its foot in the door, but a service like this may be just what the world needs to differentiate between terrestrial radio and satellite radio, which is still a bit expensive for some. [MediaWeek via Orbitcast]