The issue may be unavoidable due to the physics involved in producing the digital mediumGETTY IMAGES
The NHL Kings are moving their audio broadcasts to iHeartRadio this season, and for the first two exhibitions, there was a time-gap of "more than a minute between live action and audio access on the app," according to Tom Hoffarth of the L.A. TIMES. That may be "unavoidable with the physics of signals bouncing off satellites and then compressed into a digital medium." But Kings VP/Communications & Broadcasting Mike Altieri said that this "shouldn’t sidetrack the upside to what this platform can exclusively provide ramping up to the regular-season opener Oct. 5." Altieri: "It’s definitely a forward-thinking approach to audio, a chance to do something different as the market keeps changing and a way to be more consistent." Hoffarth notes the Kings could "keep an in-house default audio signal for those who bring portable radios into Staples Center." Games also "remain on SiriusXM satellite radio, LAKings.com online and the NHL app." Other NHL teams have apps to "go with their radio platform, but the Kings appear to be the first to use streaming as their sole audio delivery." For the Kings, the move "comes down to a frequency issue." KABC-AM had been the Kings' partner for the last four years, but when its Cumulus ownership group filed for bankruptcy last year, their contracts were "effectively terminated" (L.A. TIMES, 9/25).
