The next big thing in sound is here and it's called HD Radio Technology. It's on its way to doing for radio what HDTV has done for television.

HD radio technology has already taken Great Britain and much of Europe by storm and will soon do the same thing here.

HD Radio technology is great because it makes it possible for FM stations to sound nearly as good as if you were listening to a CD. The sound is just amazing - clean, pure and crystal-clear. It even enables AM stations to sound as good as an FM station today.

Let's pretend you're a talk radio fan. Just imagine how much better your experience will be when there's no distortion, no annoying hiss, crackle, fade or static. It will be just like listening to your favorite AM station broadcast in FM.

And if music is your thing, you'll love HD Radio technology even more because you'll be able to hear music on your favorite classic or rock station in the clearest, cleanest, purest form ever available over the airways and free!.

In fact, this technology even makes it possible for your local stations to broadcast in true 5.1 surround sound. Just imagine that. You turn on your favorite music station and you are immediately surrounded by sound -- just as if you were sitting in your favorite concert hall.

HD Radio technology also makes possible a technology called multicasting that allows stations to broadcast two or more different signals simultaneously. So, your favorite oldies stations could also be broadcasting hip-hop or R&B at the same time.

More than 200 stations are already broadcasting in HD Radio technology. And HD radios are available for the home and car.

So far, radio stations have not done much publicity on this exciting, new form of broadcasting but you can bet that will be changing in the near future.