Setback for the DAB lobby. System has to rely on possible market demands
Also for the future in Germany it will be possible to buy an FM radio receiver that is not also equipped for digital terrestrial broadcasting (DAB). The Economy Ministry has now rejected a proposal from the Culture Committee of the Federation Council that the Telecommunications Act should be amended that from 2019, all receivers sold should also be able to receive standardized digital signals.
The decision is pleasing especially the broadcasters in Germany which are set to continue to rely on FM and has rejected DAB+ writes satnews.de. These are primarily the large commercial broadcasters. The trade association VPRT has recently adopted an agenda which emphasizes once again that for radio "Multichannel FM is the base for digital investment".
On the one hand, this is a lost historic opportunity to accelerate the penetration of DAB radios on the market. On the other hand, there are views that DAB+ in Germany can establish itself on market conditions. In Bavaria is already of 40 percent sold are DAB receivers. For Germany overall it is expected this share next year will be 20 percent.
DAB+ network now covers the whole of Germany. However, there are still quite a few listeners compared with FM and other platforms; Internet, satellite and cable. About five percent are listening via DAB on a weekly basis.
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