Digital Radio

There are a few promo articles on the website for one of the EON Sports programs, The Punters Show, that state EON will be using the ARN digital platform. Who knows if it’s right?

http://www.puntersshow.com.au/news/latest-news/punters-show-saturday-morning-radio

The Canberra and Darwin trials have been extended until 30 June 2017.

The answer is probably obvious, but why don’t they just make DAB+ in Canberra and Darwin permanent already?

@Moe may have the answer, but I believe that there is a legislative reason why they keep extend the trial

Correct, just as there is no legislative provision for regional areas yet since report into digital was released last year.

I don’t listen to Easy on DAB+ much, but from what I hear, as well as looking at their playlist on their RadioApp site (at least when viewed through an iPad/iPhone), they seem to sound a bit more contemporary than Smooth. They also play a few more older hits (ie. 60s, 70s & 80s) that Smooth don’t play.

EON Sport Radio test loop on air in Sydney on the 9B Multiplex at 24kbps.

Is it just where I live but is it harder to pick up the ABC & SBS digital stations? I ask this because I got a digital radio last week and was able to pick up all the commercial digital stations quite easily but found it much harder to pick up ABC & SBS stations.

I live in an area with full DAB reception and can listen to the commercial stations fine without dropout. However, the reception for ABC & SBS stations is extremely patchy for some reason.

Also on air in Melbourne on 9B Multiplex at 24kbps.
This supports previous information that ARN would be the provider of bandwidth.

24kbps mono…I think that very well might be the lowest bitrate station that’s been on Sydney DAB+ so far!

Wondering which city you live in? The commercial stations and ABC/SBS transmit from different TV towers in most places. It’s possible that you’re in the shadow of the ABC/SBS signal where you live. Is it the same when you move away from your home?

Incorrect. The DAB signals all come from the same towers.

In some areas though, for example western Sydney, the ABC/SBS is running at a lower power since they have not invested in rebroadcasting their signal from all the sites that the commercial stations have. In these sites the ABC/SBS still has to transmit to prevent interference, but it does so at a much lower power.

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Who pays for this?

In Melbourne, national broadcasters are on the BA tower, commercials on the TXA. The only main site I’m aware of where all three multiplexes aren’t co-sited.

Jeffmister - what city?

When I went to the tower at Winmalee (right next to it) it was not transmitting any SBS/ABC only the commercials. The ones on the northern beaches did but at lower power. My guess it is outside the lic area so they did not bother.

we listen to EASY in the car, it’s good to just relax to. And no ads is a bonus :smiley:

Cranbourne - Victoria

To answer @TheViewer’s question, I’ve only tried listening inside my house so far. With the commercial stations, I can walk around the house and listen to those stations without any dropouts with full reception. However when it comes to ABC & SBS stations, there’s only few spots where I can listen to them without dropouts.

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Go to this page and put the post code in, select Digital Radio then click on Melbourne.

Not so. In Melbourne the commercial stations broadcast from the ATV tower and the ABC/SBS from the ABV tower. The antenna array on the commercial side is at a much higher elevation than the ABC/SBS side.

I’m afraid you’re incorrect.

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