Digital Radio

It’s to my understanding that Show Radio has been around since 1995. While the temporary station was also hosted on 90.9, 96.9 (this might’ve been the first?) and 100.5 before fulltime services were allocated to those frequencies.

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I will confirm AFTRS Show Radio began in 1995 and I know this because I graduated the AFTRS Radio corse in 1994 so I missed it by 1 year

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Thanks for confirming that. I may not have been able to receive the broadcasts from Moore Park from down here, though I wasn’t as diligent at checking the dials back then!

Letter from Joan:

Dear Retailers and Manufacturers

I wanted to give you an update on the switch on of permanent DAB+ broadcast services by commercial operators in Darwin and Hobart.

The formal switch on date has now been set by the regulator ACMA as 1 April 2019.

As well as simulcasting current stations the commercial broadcasters will be adding new DAB+ only free to air stations.

We are now talking to broadcasters about switch-on PR activity and they have expressed an interest in obtaining some DAB+ receivers as giveaways.

We are also in discussion about on air ads but will come back to you with that information as those develop. They would also like to mention where DAB+ radios can be purchased in Darwin and Hobart.

On the practical side, there is a frequency change in Darwin later this week. The local NT Broadcaster (sic) stations have been running “rescan your radio” messaging in that market for the past week, both on their DAB+ services (text and audio) as well as on their website. Hobart will launch on its permanent frequency, so no rescan process is required in that market.

Also FYI, Canberra services will switch on permanently (currently on trial) on 1 July. We will come back to you on rescan and promotional activities for Canberra in in the lead up to those services

On behalf of the industry, I would like to thank you for your ongoing support of DAB+ digital radio and look forward to working with you on further expansion, and even greater retail sales.

I’ll be in touch again soon regarding Darwin and Hobart but please do not hesitate to reach out to me or my team if you have any suggestions, or your local stores need any assistance.

Regards

Joan

Joan Warner | Chief Executive Officer
Commercial Radio Australia
Level 5, 88 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills, NSW 2010
+61 2 9281 6577
jwarner@commercialradio.com.au
commercialradio.com.au

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Does this raise a smile with anyone else?

For over the last decade, I have said that DAB+ receiver penetration will never be the level it should be unless Paul Thompson 1980’s SAFM strategies are followed.

DAB+ in your promotional vehicles then give the radios away to clients and audience, don’t make it hard, don’t be caller ten, just give them away.

The fortunate matter is for the three small capitals, signal is great, so those in the poorer, outer suburbs who usually respond to competitions will have no ‘first impression problem’ of poor signal.

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Heard an ad on Triple M Hobart just before the news, it confirms the above statement that digital radio will be commencing in Hobart on the 1st of April.

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Was it an ad in a break, or just a vt?

I just heard it, will chuck the audio up soon.

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Here’s a copy of the news opener advertising DAB+ coming to Hobart on April 1st, which aired just after 6 PM today on 107.3 Triple M Hobart.

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Stating the obvious here, but I’d be a bit worried about anything that’s slated for April 1st…

Hope it’s not a cruel prank. Hobartians deserve DAB.

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SCA issued a press release today, stating digital radio will be commencing in Hobart on April 1st, and unfortunately, they will only be offering 4 stations. Those 4 stations are 107.3 Triple M, Hit 100.9, Easy Hits and Triple M Classic Rock.

I would assume they’re only offering 4 at the moment because of the bandwidth limitations (as the excess capacity hasn’t been issued yet)?

https://www.southerncrossaustereo.com.au/media/media-releases/triple-m-classic-rock-along-with-easy-hits-are-coming-to-hobart/

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Probably to also avoid flooding the market with too much choice too early. Debatable if that’s the best stategy, but for the networks I guess it means they get to show some of the benefits of digital without risking too much disruption to their audience’s listening habits.

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Yes, good point. Especially for a small market like Hobart!

This ad just went to air on Triple M Hobart. I’ll have to have a look at how Hit has been promoting it.

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Quick question have they cued into air and put to air a launch loop or has it been just left on a test tone?

It’s off the air completely at the moment.

There was a 32kbit MP2 test tone a few weeks ago though.

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I know Hobart’s all excited about getting Digital radio, but I had to laugh when I read this.

I totally agree with it too, Digital radio is so over, it certainly isn’t what it could be, & no where near what was promised at the start.

From Sydney Morning Herald (not paywalled) Digital Radio not good sound, but good gift for your Gran.

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It has so much potential, but I feel it isn’t being promoted enough. CRA should be handing out free DAB+ radios and converters in all the capital cities!

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Latest update in Hobart is community radio stations are expected to join the DAB mux around the end of April.

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