Digital Radio Will Not Replace FM in Australia

DAB+ proposed to be supplementary to analogue platforms

In the Department of Communications report the conclusion is that Australia should not replace AM/FM with DAB+ but rather focus on analogue platforms and make DAB+ as a supplementary alternative. There is no clear picture of the future for digital terrestrial radio.

The cost and complexity of rolling out DAB plus-based digital terrestrial radio services across regional Australia present major challenges for the industry according to the report. The need to cover large geographic areas with small and dispersed populations offers unique challenges which have not been faced in many international markets.

EBU Condemns Swedish Government Decision to Stop DAB Radio

Decision to retain FM radio plagues DAB developments. 

The decision to retain FM radio in Sweden has created an uproar amongst DAB proponents and lobbyists in Europe. In Sweden the unusual approach by the Director General of Swedish public radio (SR) and EBU Member Cilla Benkö by protesting against the government has been duly noted in media. Now also the EBU has joined her in condemning the decision. News that the Swedish government is to postpone the development of a digital terrestrial network has been widely criticised as 'short-sighted and retrograde' by public service broadcasters across Europe writes EBU on its web site.  

Final Stop For DAB Radio in Sweden

Joins Finland rejecting the DAB technology and retaining FM
Democracy too strong for longtime lobbyism

The Swedish government has announced it will not go ahead with plans to replace FM radio with digital DAB+ broadcasting. In the daily Svenska Dagbladet, the Swedish minister of culture and democracy Alice Bah Kuhnke writes that there is not enough support for introducing digital radio. Among the main reasons for retaining FM is that 10 million FM receivers would have to be replaced.

The culture minister also points to concerns from the Swedish defense, which uses some of the DAB frequencies, and that there are some reports that the planned DAB networks wouldn’t have the same coverage area as the current FM networks.

Government Prepares Retainment of FM Radio In Sweden

"The DAB project is off the agenda" 
At its party congress Miljöpartiet - the Green party - has decided that the FM radio should be retained in Sweden. According to the party's culture and media spokesman Niclas Malmberg this decision means that the 2014 proposal to replace FM with DAB+ 2022 will not be carried out by the government
Since 2014 Sweden has a coalition government by the Social Democrats and the Greens. Miljöpartiet ministers is in charge of the culture, media and ICT agenda. The ministry of culture statement regarding DAB radio is expected before summer holidays in July.

Continued Slow Uptake for DAB Radio in the U.K.

Still analogue is the major radio listening platform

Listening on digital platforms has increased four percentage points on one-year basis according to latest RAJAR survey. However, still AM/FM is the major platform with 54,3 % of all listening. The share of listening to DAB is 25.9% of all listening (23.7% in Q1, 2014). This is still the highest share for DAB listening in Europe but the system was introduced in the U.K. already 1995. Norway is number two for DAB listening with a 19 % share and Denmark number three with 14 %.

No FM Switch-off in South Africa

Digital radio DAB/DRM to be developed on its own track

A South African government ICT Review Report SA states that regarding digital radio the media regulator ICASA 2013 decision not to make a determination on the switch off of AM and/or FM signals must be endorsed, and that the licensing of DRM and DAB services must be facilitated in parallel.