European Broadcasters committed to digital radio

Calls for a single European market for digital radio

London, September 8th, 2011 Europe?s biggest consumer electronics trade fair, IFA, was all about digital radio this year. Held in Berlin, September 2 - 7, the show came just one month after Germany, Europe?s biggest radio market, launched its first national digital radio services. So, its no surprise that Europe?s broadcasters were out in force to support the growing move to digital radio that?s sweeping across the continent.
The main event was a "Digital Radio Day" on Monday 5th September hosted by WorldDMB and the German Digital Radio Project Office, the ARD and DRD. Broadcasters from the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and, of course, Germany, called for a single, European market for digital radio and listened to speaker after speaker voice their country's commitment to rolling out the digital radio standard of choice.
The affirmative pan-European pro-digital radio message was clearly emphasised by Helmut Bauer of Digital Radio Deutschland who opened the event saying: "We did it ! Digital radio been on-air in Germany since August 1, 2011. It?s good to be part of the worldwide digital radio family!"
Thomas Saner of Switzerland?s SSR SRG told the conference "DAB+ in Switzerland is no longer the radio of the future but the radio of today," adding, "The launch of DAB+ in Germany is the trigger for a pan-European solution for digital radio. Let's support Germany !"
For the UK's BBC, Lindsey Mack highlighted the Corporation?s commitment to DAB as a broadcast platform and underlined the importance of collaboration with manufacturers and retailers across digital radio planning. This was followed by an update by Antoine Baudel of Radio FG on the positive developments in France where a demonstration in Lyon continues to impress broadcasters. He said: "Digital radio is for those broadcasters who are visionaries." And in Italy, where 65% of listening is in-car, the digital radio industry has prioritised working closely with the auto industry, said Rai Way's Giuseppe Braccini.
The final part of the session saw the Director Gerneral of RTBF Radio, Francis Goffin state that "Radio over IP is not a complete solution.switching to digital radio has many benefits for radio and society in general including reduced power consumption". He added that DAB+ roll out in French speaking Belgium will be based on close cooperation between public and private broadcasters, with the public authorities and the industry. This was followed by the Norwegian representative Ole Jørgen Torvmark of Digitalradio NORGE who highlighted news relating to the work being carried out in preparation for the FM switch off, with the keys to success so far having been "co-operation, long-term perspective and clarity". Meanwhile its neighbour Sweden is optimistic about its own digital radio future, confirmed by Swedish Radio's Mats Akerlund.
The digital radio theme continued elsewhere at IFA with press events, on-stand consumer promotions, retailer focused training, the latest digital devices from major manufacturers and examples of radio content currently broadcasting on Germany?s national multiplex.
The event showed that there is renewed confidence and optimism amongst Europe?s broadcasters that radio?s future is, and can only be digital. With so many voices present at the "Digital Radio Day? from the European market calling for unity, the WorldDMB President Jørn Jensen took the opportunity to urge broadcasters to unite to strongly recommend that their own national administrations draw up a digital radio roadmap which will enable Europe to bring radio into the digital age.

About WorldDMB
WorldDMB is an international, non-governmental organisation with a mandate to promote the awareness, adoption and implementation of Eureka 147 based technologies worldwide. Its members include public and commercial broadcasters, receiver manufacturers and other companies and bodies committed to the promotion of services and equipment based on the Eureka 147 family of standards.

The DAB family is the most successful set of digital radio standards in the world. Created for mobile and portable reception of audio. multimedia and video services. the family includes the compatible standards DAB, DAB+ and DMB digital radio and DMB mobile TV. Collectively these are the Eureka 147 Family of Standards, having originated as an EU funded Eureka project. The system is on-air in nearly 40 countries across Europe, Australia and the Far East. More than 500 million people are within range of DAB, DAB+ or DMB services, with over 1,000 services on-air. The world's first DMB mobile TV services launched in South Korea in 2005 and is now one of the most successful markets in the world. In 2008 the industry body responsible for the Eureka 147 family of standards, the WorldDMB Forum, created the 'Digital Radio Receiver Profiles' which specify a set of minimum requirements and features for different types of consumer digital radio receivers. The Receiver Profiles ensure interoperability of new receivers
and services between countries whose broadcasters may be using different combinations of DAB, DAB+ or DMB and creates a harmonised digital radio and multimedia market across the world.

Digital Radio: Media Broadcast initiates process for nationwide broadcasting network in Germany

Programme providers are invited to apply to the State Media Authorities for the allocation of capacity in the planned nationwide Digital Radio Multiplex until 12. March 2010. The MEDIA BROADCAST website www.media-broadcast.com is now offering a downloadable brochure containing information about the expansion of the network and the predicted distribution costs. It includes the propagation forecast figures relating to the distribution costs, in order to enable applicants to formulate a business plan.
Hence, MEDIA BROADCAST is making an important contribution to the advancement of the digitalisation of terrestrial radio broadcasting in Germany. The brochure also contains information about the terms and conditions linked to the market launch.
Nationwide digital radio across Germany represents a great opportunity for existing broadcasters and new content providers alike. At the same time, digital radio transmission opens up the way for features that have previously been the preserve of internet distribution. With no complex installation required, the new digital radio can be switched on as normal and will then use common-frequency broadcasting technology to give unparalleled reception quality, both at home and on the move.
The device market for digital radio has been developing well over the last few years, hence, when the nationwide radio network will be launched, a wide selection of receivers will be available in various price brackets. Furthermore, the digital radio network will enable the transmission of comprehensive traffic information and open up the market for navigational devices with integrated visual and graphic display functions.
In the first year alone some 35 broadcasters will be operating within the new network - and with potentially 38 million listeners this will be an extremely cost-effective and efficient market entry option.

(Press Release)

Digital radio given green light in Germany

At a meeting on 25th March, the German Commission of broadcasting policies (Rundfunkkommission), headed by Mr. Stadlmeier announced its decision by all 16 Lander to approve a nationwide multiplex able to transmit between 10 and 15 radio stations. Deutschland Radio, the national public radio broadcaster of Germany, will have access to one third of the national digital network capacity, and two thirds will be made available to private radio operators, which allows them to broadcast national radio services for the first time. The BNetzA, the frequency authority of Germany, now has the task of assigning frequencies and choosing the network operator for the planned large single frequency network. The national digital channels will be supplemented by two or three multiplexes in each of the 16 regions to provide regional and local radio from public service ARD stations and private broadcasters. ARD stations in each region will also be allowed to broadcast an additional digital only service to add to their five existing programmes in each area. Between 30 and 40 digital radio stations will become available in every region of Germany, offering a mix of local and nationwide, private and public radio stations. Quentin Howard, President of WorldDMB, said, "This decision is great news for digital radio in Germany and for the whole of Europe. The largest countries in Europe - Germany, France and the UK - have all committed to the same family of digital radio standards, making it easier for other countries to follow suit. Digital radios will become even cheaper and more readily available, and with new models able to work in any country the barriers to a universal digital radio system for the whole of Europe have been removed."DAB+ is an updated version of DAB, used in Switzerland today and by Australia for their digital radio services which launch later this summer. In addition to DAB+, German broadcasters may continue with existing DAB services and could introduce DMB at some future stage. New digital radios able to receive DAB, DAB+ and DMB are in production now and will become available during 2009, in time for the launch of Germany's new services.

(Source : EBU)