Internet to replace terrestrial platform

Germany may give up on digital terrestrial television
The withdrawal by private German free-to-air commercial broadcaster RTL from digital terrestrial could be followed by more widespread rejection of DTT across the country. This warning came from Ulrich Reimers, a leading broadcasting expert and author from the Technical University in Braunschweig.

Digital Radio shortfall down under

There is a problem with the rollout of digital radio (DAB+) in Australia. Community radio, listened to by a quarter of Australian radio listeners, and providing content generally unshackled by commercial interests will be struggling to keep up with the costs to move to the digital age.  Funding of A$3.6 million (2,8 milliion euro)  per year is required to maintain a digital radio infrastructure for the 37 metropolitan community radio stations that hold digital licenses.

DRM Jockeyed Out of Radio Days Conference in Berlin

Radio Days Europe is an annual event for the European radio broadcasters to be held in Berlin March 17-19. This time an interest for digital radio issues was quite anticipated, especially DAB and DRM as well as the proposed switch-off of analogue FM. Now the DRM Consortium has withdrawn its participation and will not even be present for the connecting exhibition.

Fiasco for Local DAB in Norway

Lobby organisation for DAB got four local blocks
Trondheim, the third largest city in Norway, is now without local commercial radio. Only non-commercial community radio on FM is local. There were one three so-called qualified bidders for 8 local DAB blocks at the auction March 7 but no local interests at all. SBS Radio got one concession and A-Media another. Four concessions including the Oslo multiplex went to Digitalradio Norway which is the lobby organisation for DAB in Norway. Two local blocks were without any bidders.

23 out of 37 local DAB blocks still are without concessions. 31 % of the Norwegians listen to radio via digital platforms but this includes also Internet and television network (DVB-T2).

Digital Local Radio Wants More Government Funding

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia has launched a campaign Commit to Community Radio which they hope will motivate the government for $1.4 million (€1,1m) in additional funding for digital community radio over four years. Community radio in Australia is broadcasting on FM but with initial government funding of $11,1 million (€8,7m) 2008-2012 now also in the DAB+ structure in metropolitan areas. But to be able to continue with DAB more outside funding is needed.

European recommendation: DRM+ for Brazil

Brazil is now considering the choice of digital radio system; the American HD Radio or the European DRM+. As there are more than 4.000 community radio FM stations in the country the choice for small-scale broadcasting is very crucial. In a detailed letter to the Brazilian Ministry of Communications the two pan-European community radio organisations Community Media Forum Europe and AMARC-Europe strongly recommend the choice of DRM+ for community radio in Brazil as well in other parts of the world. 

Read the complete news item
European Community Radio: DRM+ Choice for Brazil 

Gloomy prospects for DAB in Sweden

Consultation without convincing support
The government consultation regarding the proposals of 2012 Public service commission generated a total of 131 responses to the Ministry of Culture. The proposal to let the public service radio company get financing in order to go DAB+ and closing the FM band were commented upon by one fourth of the responses. Only four respondents have observed that it is not only a case of “digital radio” but also establishing a new broadcasting system in a separate new frequency band besides the FM band.

Reviewing the responses closely and weighing in competence related to the issue the government could hardly justify funding or supporting the public service radio to establish a DAB-system as well as trying to close the FM band.

Government funds DRM+ development in Norway

The Norwegian Media Authority has granted 21st Venture A/S, a South-African company which runs commercial radio Radio Metro i Oslo and other cities 25.340 euro for development of DRM+. Radio Metro will broadcast DRM+ on a FM frequency in Trondheim Spring 2013. Broadcasts will coordinate with the Annual Conference of the Norwegian Local Radio Association May 24-26.

EBU Recommending DAB and DRM

The European Broadcasting Union, the organisation of public service broadcasters, has launched a new technical Recommendation at the Digital Radio Summit, confident that it will bring added impetus to the rollout of digital radio services across Europe. Recommendation R 138, representing the first agreement among EBU Members on digital radio distribution, was approved by the EBU Technical Committee last week.

EU Investing €700 Million in 5G

1,000 times increase in wireless capacity will also benefit distribution of radio and television

The European Commission will invest €700 million in 5G research and development in a bid to improve the competitiveness of the region’s mobile communications industry. The plans form part of the Horizon 2020 program, which will see a total of €6.2 billion injected into eight Public Private Partnerships (PPP) in areas deemed to be of strategic importance to Europe. The goal of the 5G PPP will be to provide advances including a 1,000 times increase in wireless capacity serving more than seven billion people and the creation of a secure and dependable internet with “zero perceived downtime for services”.

DAB not for local radio in Norway

Local radio spokesman: DAB is becoming a redundant technology
In Norway the media and telecom authorities have issued permits for local radio in 9 out of 37 regions allocated for local DAB broadcasting. But there was only one application per region and a total of six companies/organisations including “Digital Norge” which is the DAB promoting organisation. In 8 other regions there were more than one application and here there will be an auction March 7.

Slow uptake for DAB in Denmark and Norway

Denmark and Norway are on the official level the two most enthusiastic countries in the Western European DAB family. A survey by TNS Gallup now shows that thos picture of enthusiasm is not shared by the Norwegian households. 31 percent now listen to radio via digital platforms of different kinds as Internetradio via computer, pads and mobile phones, digital-tv (DVB-T2) and DAB.