[cma-l] The Telegraph: Government still won’t commit to digital radio switchover date

[Alan Coote]

More bad news for DAB

RadioForums.co.uk

DAB broadcasts have ceased in Portugal, with public-service broadcaster RTP handing back its licence to the regulator. RTP was simulcasting six national stations, covering 74% of the population on 44 transmitters, including 9 in the Azores and 7 in Madeira. Although no digital-only stations were offered, RTP said it had invested £5.7million in the DAB project to date, with annual costs of £300,000 per year, which was unsustainable given the small number of listeners.

The country’s Regulatory Authority for the Media described the DAB project as a “failure”, caused by problems “that also occurred in other countries, such as the costs of simulcast, the price of receivers, a lack of coordination with the automotive industry... and feared marginalization of local radio stations.” The Portuguese Association of Broadcasting said “the technology never had opportunity to take hold, given the delay in the implementation of DAB, due mainly to the limited interest shown by industry, listeners and radio broadcasters.” The regulator is retaining the frequencies for radio broadcasts, allowing use for DAB+ in the future. RTP has also temporarily ceased shortwave transmissions of RDP Internacional to save money.

Meanwhile, in Spain, many DAB transmitters have also been switched off this recently, after the government gave permission for minimum coverage to be reduced from 50% to 20%, leaving only Madrid and Barcelona with DAB signals. This forms part of a new “technologically neutral” digital radio plan for Spain, paving the way for DAB+ and pilot services of DRM/DRM+

Alan

Alan Coote
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