Digital Radio

[Jack]

Yeah at first i thought this was the work of the new MD of Triple Ms DAB+ stations ross edwards but who knows.

[tx42]

[crankymedia]

@TV-Expert

consultation papers for DAB+ in Bathurst, Cooma, Goulburn & Warragul is set to be released within the next couple of months according to ACMA’s draft FYSO 2019-23.

John McEvoy missed the boat for 2LT. He should’ve been at the front of digital planning, grabbed his allocation, got on air and pushed the digital advantage like no other has done so yet, putting the disappointing Blue Mtns FM ACMA debacle behind him.

@Ant5476

Australia should have done what NZ and the UK did by open up the lower band UHF (22-50) for digital tv. Yes everyone would need new tv’s / set top boxes / antennas etc but there would be enough UHF frequencies for the metros, and the government could still make a buck selling off the rest of the UHF spectrum to telcos.

I like this idea, was aware prior to restack planning but knowing ACMA and pressure from TV licensees, they wish to restrict the market as much as possible, so are averse to opening up spectrum.

@Brianc68

Maybe it’s just me but I personally find streaming an unpleasant experience. I can’t stand all the drop outs where the stream just inexplicably stops - I can’t stand it. Whether it’s the 4G or the phone or something else I just find it an unacceptable listening experience. And in the car especially I couldn’t be arsed fiddling around with it and drop outs still occur

You’re in good company and of significant numbers. I’d rather listen to poor quality terrestrial broadcast signal whilst in a car than bother with streaming. It is simply not the same broadcast principle as radio and never will be by simple design of delivery method.

Despite excellent signal area for mobile, streams stop for me too. Most frustrating.

@Moe

Warragul will certainly demonstrate the downside of DAB - a whole multiplex for one

SCA or Kevin not participating?

@Moe

wonder if they will go ahead with plans in Bathurst after the ownership change?

Will be interesting. Caralis on one hand would be keen to grab the spectrum but I doubt it. Along with SCA, they could’ve pushed Newcastle’s planning along any time following the TV restack/ATV switch off yet haven’t.

@Moe

historical oddity of Brisbane having one more station than Perth meaning that despite plenty of space around Perth, all commercial/community stations are crammed on one multiplex, a

Due to poorly drafted legislation. CRA’s desperation to limit capacity hurt them in the long run.

@Moe

in the congested SEQ region, Brisbane has unsold capacity because there was so much left over.

At the auction, SCA maxed out its right to excess capacity. Would have to check the other licensees. It left the unsold capacity sitting with the one licensee who didn’t bid, 4TAB. Theirs for the taking if required in the future which I say is now, buy and lease to Janet and family to get their adjacent metros on Brisbane digital.

[Vidiot]

@Moe

HD Radio were the better choices for the realities of the Australian market.

And this could be implemented on FM very quickly. This is what should be used in regional areas of Australia.

Pity there are no receivers for it in this country. And realistically we can’t have two totally different standards in operation.

[TVHead]

I think internet radio will supersede it anyway including station apps etc. otherwise analogue radio still works fine for most people

[Brianc68]

Analogue radio (FM at least) doesn’t work at all for me anymore except fringe stations like Breeze and Rebel. I know a lot of people who are the same. They are either on Spotify or DAB. DAB has to be made to work or that’s the end of traditional radio in my view.

[Petarkco]

@TVHead

I think internet radio will supersede it anyway including station apps

There’s always the problem with how far behind the stream is to FM/DAB though.

Also RadioApp isn’t great.

[RFBurns]

You definitely don’t want HD radio on AM or FM here, it’s garbage, & the US guys would use something else if they had the option.

It interferes with the Analogue component of the signal too much, hurts the FM quality, & overnight on AM, HD radio has to be turned off, because it interferes with the AM & adjacent frequencies too much.

HD doesn’t stand for High Definition Radio either, so don’t think that’s what it is, & would sound great like HDTV. It’s Hybrid Digital Radio, a Hybrid that essentially doesn’t work.

DRM+ is what should be used regionally here, same chipset can be used for DAB+ & DRM/DRM+, so receivers could be used in metro & regionally like AM/FM.

[TVHead]

That’s irrelevant really as you’re not listening to them side by side.

Unless they change the format completely which I don’t see happening I can’t see digital going all over the country anytime soon. I think Radio app and individual station apps will be the future, especially if they integrate apps into car dashes. Internet speeds on 4G are crazy good these days and will only get better.

[tx42]

HD would not be easy to implement. FM MPX subcarriers would though.

For IBOC HD radio, ACMA would need to pass legislation for the extra carriers on either side of the primary FM carrier. The transmitters would need to be replaced with HD capable ones etc etc etc…

[Brianc68]

@TVHead

That’s irrelevant really as you’re not listening to them side by side.

Unless they change the format completely which I don’t see happening I can’t see digital going all over the country anytime soon. I think Radio app and individual station apps will be the future, especially if they integrate apps into car dashes. Internet speeds on 4G are crazy good these days and will only get better.

If 4G is so good why do my streams on the various radio apps keep stopping? It’s frustrating and would need to get a WHOLE lot better for me to use them. Believe me, 4G drops in and out all over metro areas still.

[Vidiot]

@tx42

For I

@tx42

HD would not be easy to implement. FM MPX subcarriers would though.

For IBOC HD radio, ACMA would need to pass legislation for the extra carriers on either side of the primary FM carrier. The transmitters would need to be replaced with HD capable ones etc etc etc…

Well obviously!

And no, the transmitters wouldn’t need to be replaced. You can get a stand alone exciter. You’ll find that many recent FM transmitters have HD capability built in. Just as many recent AM transmitters can run AM stereo. But it doesn’t get used.

I would never advocate HD radio on AM. It’s awful.

The DRM ship has sailed. Hardly any implementation of it for domestic FM broadcast stations worldwide. Just some shortwave. And some medium wave in places like India.

[crankymedia]

@Brianc68

DAB has to be made to work or that’s the end of traditional radio in my view.

Agree and it doesn’t appear any good news is on the horizon. The lack of enthusiasm for broadcasters is disenchanting with each passing year.

Agree also with @RFBurns, DRM+ is needed regionally here and turn on the ‘new’ SW TX at Tennant Creek which has DRM+ but was never used (only the analogue capacity).

@Brianc68

If 4G is so good why do my streams on the various radio apps keep stopping? It’s frustrating and would need to get a WHOLE lot better for me to use them.

Nowhere near the reliability of broadcast platforms, will be a long time before I bother either.

[littlegezzybear]

4G on Optus for me between Sydney and Canberra has improved over the past couple of years. I used to get dropouts and buffering issues but my last few trips have been smooth streaming. I don’t have a digital radio in my car. I did install a small pocket one I got from Aldi into my car and used the auxiliary input into my radio but the reception on it was terrible so I took it out.

[TVHead]

I wasn’t arguing for online streaming to replace radio but maybe down the line phase out digital radio when this becomes reliable enough. I’d never argue to get rid of analogue radio.

[dxnerd]

[Moe]

@littlegezzybear

I thought that Hit 94.3 and 3GG were both in the Warragul licence area.

So it is - forgot entirely about 3GG. I wonder which broadcaster was pushing for it more?

@Brianc68

The biggest mistake was not opening up some DAB spectrum to new operators.

I certainly agree here. The excess capacity auction being among only existing operators is a farce - FM licenses sold for millions, and the equivalent DAB capacity was nearly given away.

[ozbark]

During the ABC Nightlife Broadcast over with weekend with Sarah McDonald as host. Sarah was asking the Nightlife Quiz contestants via which ‘listening medium’ they were listening to the quiz on. The reason being is that at the time on the MW & FM terrestrial ABC Local Radio network the ABC was carrying the Ashes Cricket match.

The Nightlife program was only being broadcast on the ABC app/internet or via DAB+ radio. Whilst several people were streaming the Nightlife program via the Internet, Sarah was surprised at the significant number of listeners listening via DAB+. Remember is a medium that the ABC doesn’t promote. The ABC only ever pushes Digital (Internet) or the AM/FM mediums. It’s almost like the ABC thinks mediums like shortwave & DAB+ are some kind of fringe medium that only a small secular number of listeners utilise. Need I go on?

I happened to wake up during one of the recent weekend broadcasts during the past weekend Nightlife quiz programs, (please excuse me if I get some of this wrong as I was half asleep & tuned in during half of the conversation) but Sarah mentioned that the ABC Nightlife program was carried on Foxtel & also appeared to suggest that somewhere in the not too distant future that ABC Local Radio will be carried on DTV throughout Australia, much like some of the ABC digital stations & some of the SBS radio stations are carried on DTV at the moment. Can anyone validate or confirm/deny that the ABC has these plans for the future?

[Petarkco]

@TVHead

That’s irrelevant really as you’re not listening to them side by side.

It is if you have OCD and listen to the ABC a lot.

[webguy]

@Moe

So it is - forgot entirely about 3GG. I wonder which broadcaster was pushing for it more?

It would undoubtably be 3GG given that all of Capital’s other markets (Goulburn and Snowy Mountains) are on the list too.