[cma-l] Germany switches to DAB+

[Martin Steers]

Long term DAB+ might be the future of DAB based radio (cant really use
digital as includes DTV and Internet)..

However as I have said a few times to anyone will listen, we are stuck with
DAB for the long haul, and whilst government and the radio sector* in
general are pushing for it then thats all that can happen, and we must all
work together to grow the audience, because if it fails it fails for all.
(*OK not all commercial are for it, some are against, and a lot
are neutral or worse behind closed doors).

Digital listening is up, and now stands at 26.9%, an apparent 14.3% increase
year on year, and DAB is always the biggest platform under the digital
umbrella.. Still along way off the magic 50% number (but if it jumped the
same percentage again or more we would be so close it wouldnt be
believable..) I still wouldnt hold my breath for a digital migration in
2015.. As I still dont think the market (eg the listeners) are quite there
in demanding the migration, and I do agree somewhat that it should be market
led.

But I also think that digital migration is a fantastic opportunity for
community radio as it will free up spectrum for more community stations, BUT
this assumes a few things.. a) That we have non platform biased and
platform ambiguous receivers (universal EPG etc) so that it doesnt matter
how you broadcast its easy for your audience to hear you.. and b) that more
stations are sustainable themselves and wouldnt effect the sustainability of
all other stations (commercial and community)

Just my thoughts

Martin

On Thu, Aug 4, 2011 at 1:32 PM, Two Lochs Radio <tlr at gairloch.co.uk> wrote:

> I see Germany has now completed the next step in doing what I urged Ofcom
> and the BBC to do two years ago, and which they insisted was impossible.
> Germany previously abandoned its DAB-only roll-out as an outdated
> technology
> that was inadequate tot he task, and has now relaunched digital radio with
> DAB+ added in to the existing DAB system.
>
> Ironically this is expected to be a useful new market for British DAB/DAB+
> chip and set makers concerned by the year-on-year drop in UK DAB radio
> sales
> that is now in its thrid year in a row.
>
> Alex
>
>
> >From Radio-Info.com 4 August 2011:
> _______________________________________________________
>
> Germany turns on 27 DAB and DAB+ transmitters
>
> This is a re-launch of an existing DAB platform that now includes DAB+ and
> covers as much as half the population of German, or about 40 million
> people.
> Frontier Silicon CEO Anthony Sethill predicts "this will have a significant
> impact on the rollout of digital radio across Europe", given the scale of
> the effort and the cooperation of public and commercial broadcasters.
>
> The channels include 90elf ("Germany's football station"), which will use
> the sub-channels of the new digital platform to broadcast full-length
> soccer
> matches, offer in-game news updates, and even put news and scoring updates
> on the receiver's display. Other charter channels include Absolut Radio,
> Radio Bob, LoungeFM, NRJ, ERJ, Klassik Radio, Radio Horeb, Kiss FM,
> Deutschlandfunk, D-Radio Wissen and "Kultur." Public broadcaster
> Deutschland
> Radio did the buildout that adds DAB+.
>
> http://www.radio-info.com/news/germany-turns-on-27-dab-and-dab-transmitters
>
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