That might change if there is a change in the federal government at the next election and ABC/SBS funding is increased to a sustainable level.
No. The only transmitters with RDS for ABC are in capital cities apart from JJJ Sunshine Coast where the input level makes it largely ineffective.
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On another note, MTV sounds has been a good addition to the DAB+ lineup, I hope ARN continue running it after August.
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I’m annoyed it doesn’t seem to be in Brisbane?
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Shall i Petition be Started to make it Happen?
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No not delayed by anything, any new ones are still in planning, I don’t think the Gold Coast has been finalised yet by the ACMA, there’s still descussion whether it should be at Mt Tambourine or Lower Beechmont?
You can beg to differ if you like, but unless you have more inside information than I have about DAB (which I doubt), you’re fantasizing again.
I know a lot more about DAB & where it’s headed than I let on, becasue I can’t say anything under commercial confidentiality agreements.
Won’t make any difference if Government changes & ABC/SBS funding increases, funding has nothing to do with it, the ABC/SBS aren’t interested in DAB, they’re looking to go a different way with Digital radio.
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I heard in one of the ABC Sports jungles it was about online , the App and local radio. Seems like DAB+ is no longer the priority. I might of just heard the wrong jingle. However in the past 10 years it was about DAB now it is the app.
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And DRM30/DRM+ regionally (at least starting with), & having the radio channels on their DTV services.
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will Rebel FM and Breeze FM be part of DAB+ on the Gold Coast?
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I can’t answer that ATM as I don’t know for certain, but I don’t think so?
At the moment all I know for the Gold Coast is, Grant Broadcasters are supposed to be/planning on building the DAB site at Mt Tambourine, for themselves & the SCA stations, with allowance for possible future addition of the Nationals. I’m not even sure about how many, who, or even if any, of the GC community stations will be on DAB?
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They would have to be on a separate multiplex as they are only licensed to the remote area. While the ACMA have used ‘deeming principles’ to include some community stations not technically eligible, they certainly won’t do it for a commercial station.
With DAB the ACMA could and would design an antenna pattern and power restrictions that would prevent the majority of the overspill coverage that in practice Rebel/Breeze depend on. They certainly couldn’t replicate their FM coverage and would likely need to use a lot of low power sites dotted around the areas they can serve.
That said, there is a nominal frequency planned for them to use, and they in theory could apply to the ACMA for a license for a DAB multiplex transmitter.
I suspect however they know that the practical limitations of the SFN that would be allowed, would mean they won’t bother. They just want the equalisation of access to the Gold Coast transmitter, not DAB for the sake of it. Same with Radio97.
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The fact the ABC didn’t insist on planning a Category 2 transmitter license for the commercials on the Gold Coast is enough of a flag for me.
It locks them in to it being near impossible to provide the correct ABC local radio into each market, if they did want to roll out to regional areas.
Near impossible doesn’t mean totally impossible, there’d still be ways, but not attempting to get the simplest outcome of doing the same structure as the UK - local radio on the local commercial multiplex and national stations on a national SFN, to me indicates that DAB certainly isn’t in their mid term planning.
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Not sure why, but you can listen to the stream here: Listen to the Best Podcasts & Shows Online, Free | iHeart
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You seem to think you know more about DAB+ than anyone on here. I don’t particularly like your attitude, mate, so frankly I don’t care about your opinion.
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Which is why they just did an upgrade in May…
In fact Nova, ARN and SCA also did technical upgrades in May, so to me your logic doesn’t make any sense.
What was the technical upgrade the ABC/SBS did in May?
What was the technical upgrades Nova, ARN & SCA did in May?
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The upgrades done to the DAB+ output by the ABC and then by the commercial networks on all their stations on DAB. The sound quality has been massively enhanced. Anyone who listens to digital radio would have noticed.
The only negative from the upgrade to ABC services, is some of the stations cut in and out whilst listening on a portable device.
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About the Author
Alan Hughes
The Lord wept.
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Here we go again 
if people are making the argument in this thread that the ABC aren’t promoting DAB over other preferred distribution platforms why on earth would they then go all in behind an even bigger zombie format (DRM) if the one they already have (DAB) is considered to be obsolete, not popular, inferior, (insert opposition argument here).
As far as I’m concerned the DRM trial is little more than a technical curiosity.
How are those receivers coming along?
Okay, well it’s no point arguing with you, but I will say ABC & BAI Communications wouldn’t be spending the money needed, or waisting time on a “technical curiosity” if it wasn’t potentially to be used, they can do that small time in a lab, & did MW DRM trials for “technical curiosity” under a Scientific licence years ago.
And again putting this radio text on the DRM service doesn’t mean anything, it’s just there for the fun of it:
“ABC Radio National”
“ABC is testing the future of radio”
“You’re listening to the ABC DRM demonstration”
“ABC is looking to the future of radio”
“Today is 2021-7-23”
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