Lack of consumer demand might kill DAB+ in the Netherlands
The government’s multi-million euro campaign to get people to switch to DAB is failing, according to public broadcaster Nos. Radio sellers and car dealers report few people switching to the DAB+ system, even though the government wants everyone to have made the change by 2017. Economic affairs minister Henk Kamp wants to increase competition between broadcasters and says there is more room for new players using DAB+ to replace FM. But Internet seems to be the stumbling block.
Declining on-air broadcasting market and debt pile possible sales factors
Arqiva responsible for the UK's television and radio transmitter towers, four Freeview multiplexes and numerous DAB multiplexes is up for sale. Its chief executive, telecoms industry veteran Simon Beresford-Wylie, is targeting growth in the mobile market as revenues from broadcasting are in long, slow decline. Today the company has a near monopoly over UK transmission towers.
Broadcasters and authorities demand operators to activate new smartphones
Commercial broadcasters research unit PILOT has observed the activation of FM reception capabilities in popular smartphones since 2012, and has reported its findings throughout the period.Then the percentage of smartphones with FM reception capability was in the single digits. Now however, an important milestone has been reached. In the third quarter of 2016, the number of top-selling smartphones sold with FM reception capability enabled by at least one carrier has for the first time matched those sold without FM capability.
BFBS will continue on FM, satellite and online.
Forces radio station BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting Service) will come off the national digital radio multiplex Digital One in March after carrying out analysis over the costs. The station says to RadioToday that it can no longer justify the cost of the platform, but the radio service will continue as normal with no job losses.
Norwegian government close to a national broadcasting failure.
In the balance before February 8: Trøndelag and Geneva.
After starting the switch-off of FM transmitters for nationwide radio in Nordland county January 11 many listeners had sparse or no DAB reception at all. Quite different from what the public service broadcaster NRK has promised. There are strong indications that DAB will not be complete and sufficient replacement for FM. Now the government has to decide upon a switch-off postponement for the rest of the country. But the official picture of the switch-off is still bright with pomp and circumstance.
New Swedish emergency system will interrupt FM radio listening
Ambulances in Stockholm are testing a system that interrupts in-car audio systems to warn drivers that they need to get through. The solution was developed by students at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. It broadcasts a voice warning, while a text message also appears in the radio display. It uses an FM radio signal to jam drivers' speakers and stop music playing according to BBC News. It will be able to alert cars with their FM radios turned on
and also interrupts Bluetooth connections.
No DAB for U.S. commercial radio. Will never turn off FM
The Norwegian parliament’s forced turn-off of many FM analog radio stations in favor of digital audio broadcasting (DAB) is causing not just static, but outright anger. Opinion polls indicate 66 percent of Norwegians oppose the shutdown, with only 17 percent in favor. The angst stems from the fact that the shutdown could leave tens of thousands of people without access to some of their favorite free and local radio stations. On the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) policy blog Christopher Ornelas, Chief Operating Officer, asks if it could happen in the United States.
An unique but unpopular transition is not making positive news abroad. Except for the Norwegian Embassy in Washington.
Norway yesterday become the first country to cease FM radio broadcasting for national radio on-air channels. The switch from FM and old DAB to DAB+ broadcasting, is intended to save money, but critics are worried about the effect on drivers and listeners of small radio stations. The switch-off is set to cause considerable disruption to all radio listeners. News about this unique step in international media has been has been met with some surprise but also by doubt and distance;" it won’t happen here”.
Future for commercial digital radio looks bleak. Cannot match FM.
As we reported in August the Hong Kong Digital Broadcasting Corp. applied to return its DAB license to the government, citing “unsatisfactory” developments in the digital radio industry. According to the management the move was not due to immediate financial difficulties, but a lack of prospects in digital broadcasting and government policies that failed to help digital radio reach a wider audience, causing difficulties in attracting advertising. Now a third Hong Kong broadcaster gives up on DAB, as Metro Radio returned its DAB licence to the government, ending years of trying in vain to open up a new market – one that nobody really wanted – with little success according to South China Morning Post.
Seven out of ten say reject FM switch-off. DAB project close to a fiasco.
In an opinion poll on behalf of the national daily Dagbladet the resistance is at its greatest in the three northernmost counties. The switch-off begins in January in Nordland. An overwhelming majority of the people are strongly against closing the FM network and a transition to DAB. 66 percent of respondents said that they were against moving from FM to DAB. Only 17% say they are for this. Dagbladet carried an identical survey in July this year, with almost the same results.
Great opportunity for local operators in Norway when state and foreign-owned broadcasters move to DAB.
This opening of airwaves will put pressure on politicians to show their cards on the democratic agenda before next years's general elections. When national channels disappear from the FM band next year the vacant frequencies should be used by local radio, says Norwegian Local Radio Association (NLR), which also ask for an increase in subsidies, less detailed regulation of the industry as well as continuity and better overall framework regulation. NLR has recently submitted its comments to the media pluralism investigation committee.
Dramatic stand-off in parliament. Labor saved Conservative government from a DAB defeat. But the transition plan is rejected by most Norwegians.
Amidst reports coming in from all parts of the country regarding insufficient DAB coverage and other technical problems Stortinget had to decide on two proposals for a postponement of the FM switch-off 2017 or a complete abandonment of the switch-off pan.
It has been questioned if the DAB network can meet the the emergency alert requirements. DAB is not reaching out on all roads to the motorists and the coverage at sea will be halved when switching off FM. Today, only 23 % of the cars in Norway (not counting foreign vehicles) are equipped with DAB+
