DAB Radio is being tested, promoted, and listened to with varying degrees of success for the DAB Industry worldwide. The take-up by antipodeans' consumers to be digitised is being carefully analysed by those both with a vested interest in the production of the new technology, the broadcasters and the legislature.
The World DMB Forum.
The World DMB Forum is a worldwide grouping of companies and organisations from at present (June 2010) 25 countries:”dedicated to encouraging international co-operation and co-ordination between sound and data broadcasters, network providers, manufacturers, governments and official bodies,” and specifically to see the adoption, implementation and promotion of the most common form of digital broadcasting, the Eureka 147 system.
Digital broadcasting in their remit includes not only radio but also mobile TV and new media broadcast services. The Forum works and seeks to influence all with an interest in the switch to digital, including broadcasters, trade bodies, government, network providers and equipment manufacturers. They want to see a “smooth transition,” to DAB based services.
DAB Coverage in Australia.
The coverage of digital radio in Australia at present means radio listeners in the five major cities of Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, can receive DAB radio.
Commercial Radio Australia, the national industry body representing Australia's commercial radio broadcasters, reports:” that a regional trial of DAB+ digital radio would begin in Canberra in early July 2010.” The organisation is committed to making digital radio available to all Australians and together with the multi cultural and multi lingual broadcaster SBS, it is hope the Canberra trial will show how listeners in more rural area, as well as those in more urban area can receive their radio programmes and stations via a digital signal.
Research into DAB in the Australian Marketplace.
The World DAB Forum released the first official data about Digital Radio Broadcasts in Australia, after 6 months of the consumer launch in the five major cities mentioned above. The data was complied from a number of sources including the Nielsen Company, the official Australian radio industry audience measurement survey company; GfK the consumer electronics market research company, and market researchers, the Hoop Group.
The Data reveals that:
- 449,000 people listen to digital radio in an average week.
- There are 104,000 digital sets in the Australian market.
- On average, digital listeners listen longer than analogue listeners
- 95% of people in the5 major cities listened to radio
- Of those 3.7% people listened to a DAB+ signal. (in the cities)
- And 4.2% listened through the internet. (again in the cities.)
There was a higher cumulative audience for people listening on the internet than on DAB, at 504,000, but again DAB+ listeners listened longer, for 8 hours and 16 minutes per week, compared to their counterpart on the internet who listened for 5 hours 31 minutes.
The Future of Digital Radio Listening.
Despite the benefits many see as ensuring the future of listening to the radio being inextricably linked with DAB and the efforts of the World DAB Forum, there has been criticisms of the project in Australia, similar to that in many the countries.
- Much radio listening is in-car and many car manufacturers have been slow to take up the technology.
- Development of DAB radio technology has been late in coming to Australia.
- Some listeners don’t want to spend money on new sets.
- Despite the improvements in listening, many consider a new DAB set expensive.
- Competing technology like the internet and new portable media devices are a more attractive option.
With each household possessing somewhere between 5 and 7 radio sets, it’s unlikely that a complete switch to digital as is happening to TV in some countries will happen in the radio market in Australia anytime soon.
Dan McCurdy - Dan McCurdy is a freelance writer producer creative and lecturer. Dan is one of the UK's most experienced radio writers and producers. ...
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