I wonder if they’ll launch new stations, or if it will just be improved coverage?
Sorry for the wrong question as it may have posted already, will each station get 128k ?
1 Like
Until the excess capacity gets allocated, yes…
Remember though, the Hit/Mix stations in Canberra are a joint venture between SCA and ARN, so SCA won’t be getting all the bandwidth from Hit/Mix.
Yes. It’s already split between the two on the test transmission - Hit 104.7, Buddha, Mix 106.3, The Edge.
1 Like
This is who Tony Hudson is:
According to his Linkedin blub, he enjoyed working for McDonalds whilst at uni. Perhaps his next in house gig is with them.
The Mandurah commercial digital radio transmitter licence is now on the ACMA database. Starts on 21 October 2019.
https://web.acma.gov.au/rrl/licence_search.licence_lookup?pLICENCE_NO=10675046/1
6 Likes
The old Canberra test multiplex has changed its name to ‘Canberra DAB+’ (same name as the new multiplex) and the old test channel has disappeared. Unless something changes on Friday morning, the existing stations could be what we will have:
Hit 104.7 64kbps
Buddha Radio 64kbps
Mix 106.3 64kbps
The Edge 64kbps
2CA 48kbps
2CC 48kbps
Kix Country 32kbps
My Canberra 48kbps
Snow Digital 48kbps
Coles Radio 32kbps
4 Likes
No Triple M Classic Rock?
2 Likes
Coles Radio the best of that station list by far.
3 Likes
A reminder that Canberra’s commercial DAB+ services will commence permanent transmissions on 8D tomorrow morning, as per Radioinfo article: https://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/commercial-radio-canberra-goes-digital-friday
Key points:
more new stations to launch in coming months.
The move to permanent DAB+ services in Canberra is expected to result in improved reception, including the areas of Conder, Chisholm, Kambah and Jerrabomberra, as well as along the Federal and Barton Highways, including the township of Murrumbateman.
6 Likes
The official notification for take off. Why is this bureaucratic nonsense necessary. Everything was already approved.
1 Like
That’s true, however start up day is used for the clock ticking on a few things. In the metro markets, five years of exclusivity, excess spectrum auction and so on.
4 Likes
Yes- the ‘digital radio start up day’ is an important term in the Broadcasting Services Act and must be defined to interpret sections relating to certain operations, as Cranky Kong identifies.
Bureaucracy is a necessary evil but I wish administrative tasks such as digital radio planning were done a little quicker.
3 Likes
8D is now on-air in Canberra. The stations available are the same, though the bitrate of some of the Capital/Grant stations has changed. Bumping up 2CA a bit is good.
Hit 104.7 64kbps
Buddha Radio 64kbps
Mix 106.3 64kbps
The Edge 64kbps
2CA 64kbps
2CC 32kbps
Kix Country 48kbps
My Canberra 48kbps
Snow Digital 32kbps
Coles Radio 32kbps
3 Likes
Hopefully MMM Classic Rock gets added.
I wonder if Snow FM will disappear after the ski season is finished; there’s little value in having it on as a CHR station.
3 Likes
Are they now at 20kw??
If so any noticeable improvement in reception?
1 Like
Surely I can’t be the only one who’s more interested to see if Canberra’s community stations are allowed onto DAB+ (and if so, whether they decide to simulcast or provide alternatives) than anything the commercial stations do?
Capital seems to have an established lineup of Digital Radio offerings while we probably all know the sort of stations that the SCA/ARN joint venture would try and get onto DAB+ in Canberra: A selection of the most popular (or those which don’t majorly clash with the formats of Hit 104.7 or Mix 106.3) DAB+ offerings from SCA & ARN which already exist in the five main metro markets.
I agree.
Just a pity that 2CC is only in 32kbps though. Even if most of that station’s content is syndicated from 2GB with a few bits of localism (such as Canberra Live & that Raiders-centric program before the Continuous Call Team on Friday nights), 2CC should at the very least be available in 64kbps IMO.
It probably depends on how the contracts are written when it comes to things like syndicated content. For example, I could imagine Nova (or whoever syndicates that show) really wanting Kate, Tim & Marty to be heard on terrestrial radio Canberra even if only via DAB+.
1 Like
I noticed a few Canberra ads on Snow, including ones for Fyshwick brothels. I don’t know if Canberra ads are usually on Snow Cooma/Jindabyne? The Fyshwick ads are definitely not on 2CC and 2CA from what I have heard. Based on the Canberra ads l’m thinking Snow may hang around on digital??
5 Likes
Oh please; Canberra folk are too intelligent for them 
I would much rather have 2XL on DAB; it’s music format is differentiated enough from 2CA (80s and 90s rather than 60s and 70s) and Mix 106.3 (no modern stuff).
A precedent has been set with The Edge marauding itself onto muxes in Sydney and now Canberra. I wonder how the Mandurah mux will work- just 6MM (Wave)/Coast or will the Perth stations get a look in, too?
4 Likes