Digital Radio

[Moe]

@Dingus

I can only comment on in-car reception, but Mandurah seemed to be well and truly covered by the Perth DAB and FM stations. No idea why the ABC and SBS mux needs to be reproduced in the Mandurah license area.

The ABC’s reception site shows Mandurah as being in a poor signal area - but I suppose the fact it is fine in some parts might be part of why the ABC really want to be able to manage their own transmitter parameters - so they can not duplicate coverage where it is fine, but supplement where it isn’t, instead of trying to match a commercial license area.

@Dingus

If there are only two stations on the Mandurah commercial mux, would West Coast Radio get the whole mux to themselves?

Nope, they’d have to ‘buy’ excess capacity at a spectrum auction where they’d be the only bidder, but only be able to buy 256kbps more, leaving more than half the multiplex legally mandated to be empty, especially with no community radio.

I’d be very interested what they do, might be one of the more exciting digital radio offerings.

[crankymedia]

Have added more to my original post now.

[Dingus]

@crankymedia

ABC’s own DAB+ reception maps are usually conservative. Coverage on them shows signal as far as Coolup on the inland road and Lake Clifton on the coast.

First time I’ve seen those maps.

South seems to line up with my own anecdotal experience, I can usually get reception to the Old Coast Road turnoff near Lake Clifton.

North seems very conservative, I’ve definitely had reception further north than Two Rocks.

I’ve never really checked reception out east, but that seems very conservative as well.

[Dingus]

@Radiohead

Was it iHeart Radio The 90s before?

The text is ‘The 90s’ and ‘The90s’, but on air they call it The 90’s on iHeartRadio or similar.

[Moe]

@crankymedia

Where was this submission? I don’t think I’ve read it.

The ‘Other Submissions Received’ dropdown - https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/mandurah-digital-radio-channel-plan

Direct link to the ABC’s submission: https://www.acma.gov.au/-/media/Broadcast-Carriage-Policy/Issue-for-comment/IFC-03-2019/ABC-submission---Mandurah-DRCP-pdf.pdf

They didn’t seem to do anything as a result of it, the plan seemed not to change between the draft and the final.

[crankymedia]

@Moe

The ‘Other Submissions Received’ dropdown

Thanks, I would’ve read it, I recalled their grumble of the lack of spectrum. It is a problem for the national b’casters, they do need more multiplexes.

[TV-Expert]

According to the ABC faults & outages page, the ABC/SBS DAB+ services in Canberra is set to be off-air on the 15 & 16 July from 1:06am to 4:50am due to planned outage. This could be due to the installation of new broadcast equipment for the upcoming launch of full-time commercial DAB+ services for Canberra.

[littlegezzybear]

I hope that is the reason. The switch to the permanent services is taking a long time.

[crankymedia]

@TV-Expert

This could be due to the installation of new broadcast equipment for the upcoming launch of full-time commercial DAB+ services for Canberra.

Ring the stations and find out. You or @littlegezzybear please
The national coverage, albeit below the 20 kW ERP is superb.

[Dingus]

As I suspected yesterday, The 90’s in Perth has been renamed to 96FM 90’s, and The Edge has been dropped for 96FM 80’s

Localised on air too, specifically mentioning DAB and iHeartRadio, and seems to be a different playlist to the online 80’s and 90’s streams, although could just be timeshifted.

Excellent, well done 96FM and ARN

[littlegezzybear]

@Dingus

The Edge has been dropped for 96FM 80’s

That would seem a surprise as The Edge has been in all metro markets and Canberra since the start.

[dxnerd]

Sydney has now got ‘KIIS FM 90s’. Noted whilst scanning in the DAB channels on my new i30 this morning.

[TV-Expert]

Meanwhile, also in Sydney, ‘The 80s’ is now ‘WSFM 80s’.

[TheHomeOfMusic]

and in Melbourne, Gold 80s

[Radiohead]

That’s curious that they have dropped the iHeart Radio branding of the station name.

But I think it’s a good move!

Would have love to have 2WS 80s or 2UW 80s, but I knew that wasn’t gonna happen.

Hope they stick with these names for a while now, it’s the 4th name in the last 5 years.

[SydneyCityTV]

@Radiohead

That’s curious that they have dropped the iHeart Radio branding of the station name.

But I think it’s a good move!

ARN’s licencing agreement with iHeartRadio might’ve expired?

I do agree that using the local brands is good move though.

[littlegezzybear]

@SydneyCityTV

ARN’s licencing agreement with iHeartRadio might’ve expired?

Maybe not?

ARN announces the extension of its iHeartRadio license in Australia, providing millions of listeners with access to the free, all-in-one digital audio entertainment platform until 2036

http://www.arn.com.au/about-us/arn-news/arn-announces-iheartradio-license-extension-strengthening-its-unrivalled-audio-position/

2 May 2019

[webguy]

They mostly likely trying to replicate what SCA have done by aligning the digital stations with the main stations.

[TV.Cynic]

In Brisbane it’s 97.3 80s and 90s

[SydneyCityTV]

@littlegezzybear

Maybe not?

Well in that case, I stand corrected.

Certainly not the first time there’s been DAB+ station changes for a new financial year though!

@webguy

They mostly likely trying to replicate what SCA have done by aligning the digital stations with the main stations.

Probably, although I think ARN’s attempt at aligning their DAB+ stations with the main ones on analogue has the potential (if they’re willing to stick with this strategy in the long run, which I hope they do) to work slightly better than SCA’s due to the use of more familiar local brand names.

@TV.Cynic

In Brisbane it’s 97.3 80s and 90s

TBH, I’m surprised they didn’t try and align the 80s station in Brisbane with 4KQ!

Wonder how things are in Adelaide with the stations there…