"Why should millions be invested in a technology that is outdated tomorrow?"
Business federations in the federal state of Lower Saxony want to end the digital radio DAB+. The state Court of Auditors is also critical. We talk about digitalization, broadband and the 5G standard being within reach, so why should millions be invested in a technology that is outdated tomorrow? says Volker Müller, CEO of Unternehmerverbände (Employers' organizations).
Analogue and digital radio will co-exist also in the future
Consumer Center South Tyrol welcomes the statement of th regional government that FM broadcasting will continue to function. Earlier the broadcaster Rundfunkanstalt Südtirol (RAS) had taken the position that the old analogue FM network would eventually coming to a switch-off. Many radio listeners were worried that their FM radios would then be dead.
NATO can override national DAB radio frequencies.
Thousands of ordinary Norwegian citizens aren’t the only ones frustrated and dissatisfied after Norway’s forced transition to DAB radio. It meant shutting down FM radio, and now NATO may find itself in conflict with the civilian DAB frequencies it was granted for exercises in Norway. Nagging problems and conflicts continue to arise. Politicians and authorities were reportedly warned before they imposed DAB on the civilian population that it could cause problems in crisis situations. (Picture: Aftenposten)
12 years of trial now coming to an end
Broadcast provider Kordia must wrap up its DAB trial by June 30, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) says. MBIE oversaw the technical aspects of the trial. The government must now decide whether to green-light the technology. According to National Business Review Kordia has written to Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran asking for her to overrule MBIE and extend the trial. But as things stand, the curtain is coming down on perhaps New Zealand's longest-running technology trial. Globally, there are still only a few countries with established DAB broadcasting.
Smartphones ultimately the major media platform
In India, 337.0 million people, or more than a quarter of the population, will use a smartphone in 2018, according to eMarketer’s latest forecast.
The number of smartphone users in India will grow by close to 16% this year—the highest growth rate of any country in the world broken out by eMarketer.
DTT provides better coverage than DAB.
SBS is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio, online, and television network. SBS operates four TV channels and eight radio networks. SBS Radio broadcasts in 68 languages and is available on all platforms including podcasting. SBS Radio has now launched two new digital radio stations – SBS PopAsia, SBS PopDesi and a refresh of SBS Radio 3 on the digital television network (DVB-T2).
FM radio is secured until 2030. The Baltic Sea region will be DAB free.
January 2020 is the start of a new ten-year license period for the commercial radio in Finland. There will be seven national FM licenses, with a coverage of at least 75 percent of the population. In addition, eleven partially national radio networks (at least 40% in household coverage) are announced as well as a number of regional and local states. Among other things, there is room for AM and also eight stations in Helsinki.
Digital radio in France is overwhelmingly online
According to the French magazine La Lettre Pro there are 51.000 OTA radio stations globally. 97% of the 12.299 radio stations in Europe are FM or AM. 11.827 broadcast on FM, 276 on AM (long and medium wave). Digital terrestrial radio only 353 on DAB and 881 on DAB+
Sales are not impressive, not even in Norway
The WorldDAB organisation reports that almost 12 million DAB receivers were sold in 2017 in Europe and Asia Pacific, a new record for yearly sales. Almost half (5.9m) of the sales were for automotive devices, with key markets showing a significant increase in the number of cars sold with DAB fitted as standard.
The transition from FM is considered to be the problem.
Meanwhile, all good news for local FM radio.
During 2017 national public and commercial radio made a complete with-over from FM to DAB+. Now, media agencies' investments in radio advertising show that the two commercial networks Radio Norway and P4 in four months have backed from NOK 144.5 million to a turnover of 133.2 million. By April they have backed 7.8 %, says the CEO of the Media Agency, Merete Mandt Larsen to ad business magazine Kampanje. Just for April development is even worse. Radio ad investments was down by 17%.
Predicts all-IP future. Current charter period is one of transition
Speaking at the Digital TV Group Summit in London, the BBC’s chief technology and product officer, Matthew Postgate, said that the BBC’s current 11-year charter period will be “one of transition” and said that change is already underway. While the BBC will continue to cater for both people who watch and listen to traditional linear channels and those who use the web as their premium consumption method, Postgate said that the question is not when, but how we will make the transition to being an internet broadcaster.
According to the EBU no such solution is considered
At the Norwegian electronics industry's Digitalforum recently, Gunnar Garfors from the NRK claimed that the public service organisation EBU is discussing using the 5G in FM band. The EBU is discussing using FM for 5G. There is the possibility of a pilot in Norway, said Garfors. There are areas in Norway where there is nothing on FM and tests can be done, Garfors explained. However, this idea was immediately rejected by many experts. Today, on our request, EBU has confirmed that the EBU has no such plans at all.
