Digital terrestrial radio is a flop
What the future of the radio can look like, shows a view of the United States. Radio usage has declined steadily over the traditional FM and medium wave distribution channels, and internet radio listening has been steadily rising. In 2017, radio Internet use for the first time overtook the use of radio over the traditional channels and is clearly ahead of the clock at 879 minutes per week. Terrestrial radio is only 780 minutes.
Desperate Public Broadcaster Attempt to Get Rid of Local FM Radio
Smart mobile system 5G will launch worldwide in 2020 and there is hard work to find enough frequency space. For Europe, very high frequencies are now assigned 3.4-3.6, 26 Ghz and 700 MHz band. During the conference Digitalforum in Oslo, a representative of the public broadcaster NRK stated that the EBU is discussing using the 5G in FM band. A test can be done in Norway and can be done in a short period of time. However, the idea was rejected by several experts.
Media Authority: Local radio is important for media diversity.
The effort to switch national radio from FM to DAB+ has not been positive for radio
listening in Norway, despite the fact that there are now 31 DAB-channels, many of which are new. On the contrary, developments indicate stagnation bceause many Norwegians discard DAB and continue listening to FM on local radio and cross-border radio. The forced DAB switch-over is not the success story as presented at conferences around Europe. Rather this is a national failure confirmed by recent listening surveys, and also by the fact that only one out two cars have a DAB radio installed.
Union adopted a resolution for expanding FM. New chairman elected.
NLF members are large and small local radio stations throughout Norway, both commercial and non-commercial (community radio). Aslak Sommerfelt Skretting (Jærradio Group) /picture at the right/ has been selected as new chair of the Norwegian Local Radio Association (NLF) after Svein Larsen (Radio Metro). - The meeting in Kristiansand also decided that local radio must be allowed to continue and expand on the FM band for the same license period as for DAB broadcasters, until 2031.
Much of vast Australian continent only served by medium wave broadcasting.
In a bid to serve Australia’s very unique radio market, Boston-based radio manufacturer Tivoli Audio has added AM (analog mediumwave) radio reception to its high-quality Tivoli Model One Digital FM/DAB+ receiver. The reason why these modifications were necessary is related to Australia’s geography and population distribution.
Analysis: DAB lobby pushing government officials
The Minister of Culture Mette Bock (Liberal Alliance) has presented a proposal to close FM by 2021 in order to promote digital radio (i.e. DAB). A closure of FM is an issue of survival for the DAB system and its stakeholders (mainly EBU and WorldDAB) who want more countries to follow Norway's example. DAB+ has a very slow growth in Denmark, with only about 15% listening on a weekly basis, while Teracom, the DAB network operator, finds it difficult to secure additional channels - besides those already on both DAB+ and FM - in its new multiplex.
UK commercial station leaves DAB due to price increase
Connect FM has disappeared from its local DAB multiplex because of a “very substantial price increase” from Arqiva, the station has told RadioToday. The station, owned by Adventure Radio, has been on DAB for five years, having been a launch partner when the Northampton multiplex launched in 2013. Connect FM also joined DAB in Peterborough, and Herts, Beds and Bucks.
A total of 12 HD Radio channels from a single transmitter
The upcoming NAB convention in Las Vegas next month is planning a live demo of all-digital FM HD Radio featuring a total of 12 HD Radio channels from a single transmitter during the show. The Broadcast Engineering and Information Technology conference will detail extensive high-power field testing of all-digital FM conducted earlier this year in Las Vegas using radio station KKLZ in Beasley. The demo might indicate a breakthrough for terrestrial digital radio in North America.
First Podcast Commissioner Appointed
Last
year there were around 240 million downloads of BBC podcasts, an
increase of 12% in a year. There are nearly 2 million podcast listeners
in the UK who don’t consume any BBC Radio. Now the BBC has appointed its first Commissioning Editor for Podcast Jason Phipps, Head of Audio at The Guardian. From May he will lead on the BBC’s podcast strategy, overseeing the portfolio of podcasts across the organisation. This includes building upon the BBC’s established podcasts as well as leading on new and innovative series which are made purely to be podcasts and aren’t broadcast on BBC radio stations.
Terrestrial radio reception without smartphone FM chip.
It has been a long, slow process to get FM chips installed and activated in mobile devices. And there are still holdouts as the iPhone. NextRadio has been a advocate of FM chip activation, noting that FM radio may be the only source of emergency information in times of crisis. Now a new product to debut at the upcoming NAB Show next month may end the chip/no chip debate. Blackloud says that its AF1 and CF1 earphones will provide anyone access to FM radio using their existing smartphones or tablets without needing major phone vendors to unlock the FM chip within those devices.
Angry listeners are fundraising to pay the fine
Commercial radio stations Radio Metro and Radio Rox, has been issued a fine of almost 7.000 euros by The Media Authority. The reason is exceptional by European standard, the two local radio stations wanted to stay on FM, but was not permitted. The reason is not technical rather a controversial political decision to protect the listenership of the national commercial channels which now are on DAB only. The move has angered many listeners who have started a fundraising to pay for the fine.
Read the full story in Radionytt.no
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| Photo: BBC |
FM, DAB and internet will form a 'hybrid' future
The BBC has cancelled plans to switch off FM radio broadcasts and force millions of listeners to tune into digital transmissions. FM will remain as part of a 'hybrid' future that will operate alongside DAB and the internet. Bob Shennan, the director of BBC Radio and Music, confirmed the scrapping today at the Radiodays Europe conference in Vienna. Shannon urged broadcasters to work together to ensure the survival of radio, saying Government plants to switch of analogue broadcast could restrict listeners' choice.
