A mere 22 months!
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According to the FYSO 2024-29 6-month progress report released today, there has been no demand from eligible broadcasters in regards to rolling out Digital Radio into regional markets.
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Disappointing there is no interest from the likes of Central Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong or Sunshine Coast. It would be nice to have full coverage around the major 3 cities. Perth has coverage to the south with Mandurah.
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Despite the industry spin/propaganda from CRA, networks simply can’t afford the enormous costs involved.
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They’re probably waiting for the feds to fund the transition.
I say, sadly, fuck them. Turn off DAB and relegate it to the same bin AM Stereo is living in.
I’d assume something permanent happening in Launceston would be the next move - doesn’t seem like they’d have much more to trial?
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It looks like it will be up to the ABC to roll out DAB regionally, ideally Newcastle and Central Coast to begin with. It will depend on Govt funding and the outcome of the upcoming election.
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Nah. It’s dead. Industry drsgged its feet, bitched about cost, car makers have pissed off and won’t make or change cars specifically for Australia, and government is useless to do anything.
Agree with most of that, except they finally do have good in-car market penetration with most new cars now come with it. Agree though, the industry has been pathetic and slow in realising its potential. They have failed miserably at increasing public awareness of it. I doubt there’s any appetite in switching it off though, as there is a considerable audience now in metro areas.
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CRA deliberately dragged its feet on DAB+ hoping Web Streaming would eat its lunch which it eventually did. Look at what the Gold Coast commercials did in Brisbane with their complaints about overspill - had it turned down so it didn’t even cover Brisbane properly for years.
If DAB+ had been able to replace AM there may have been more commercial interest but not everywhere has a hill to put a DAB+ transmitter on.
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Had DAB+ been DRM+, a completely different story much better suited to Australia.
BAI proved it at Dockers Plains (AM) and Mt Baranduda (FM) and TJH Systems proved it almost decades earlier on AM around Wollongong.
DRM+ works very well in Australia. It’s that the dunderheads at CRA (Joan Warner down) and her member execs at the time incorrectly placed their eggs in the DAB+ market and refused to consider DRM+
Australian audiences and radio itself are the losers for it. Whilst they all ride off into the sunset, well remunerated and no consequences for their pigheadedness.
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Does anyone have a CURRENT Canberra DAB+ SId & station name listing?
Does anyone know why the DAB+ audio quality for 3MP is so awful? I’ve flicked across to MP a couple of times in the car and it sounds tinny. All the other DAB+ stations I listen to are crystal clear.
Are you on the rescan MP service or the new ID?
3MP has moved on DAB+ so there is the old channel and the new channel. The old channel is now called RESCAN 3MP and has been reduced to 24 Kbit/s mono and sounds like AM quality to me. The new 3MP is now called easy music 3MP and is at 48 Kbit/s stereo.
Yes, as @Olderfleet says, the RESCAN 3MP sounds pretty bad on all radios I’ve heard, and way worse than the new “easy music 3MP” DAB+ stream.
Thanks @ron12 for the explanation. And they’re making regular announcements on-air about the change.
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Thanks for this explanation @ron12. I’ll re-scan the tuner in the car tomorrow.
Today it’s
0x1106 SEN 1116 - 32kbps HE-AACv2 3-A - 24CU
0x1107 SEN Fanatic - 32kbps HE-AACv2 3-B - 18CU
0x1108 SENTrack - 32kbps HE-AACv2 3-B - 18CU
0x1109 RESCAN 3MP - 24kbps Mono AAC-LC 3-A - 18CU
0x110A Vision Christian - 64kbps HE-AACv2 3-B - 36CU
0x1110 easy music 3MP - 48kbps HE-AACv2 2-A - 48CU
0x1111 Rete Italia - 16kbps Mono HE-AAC 4-A - 8CU
0x1112 Niche Radio 2 - 16kbps Mono HE-AAC 4-A - 8CU
0x1113 ACR Chinese Radio - 16kbps Mono HE-AAC 4-A - 8CU
So the same cu for Rescan 3MP, but in 3-A mode instead of 32k at 3-B.
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The ABC Gold Coast multiplex is finally back on air.
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