Australia - Current situation - History
10.10.2012
There are 1 .3 million people listening to digital radio in the five state metropolitan capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide and 833,320 digital radios have been sold . 10 .1% of listening to radio is now via a DAB+ digital radio device in the five state metropolitan capitals with Time Spent Listening (TSL) to radio via a DAB+ digital radio device continuing to grow and now at 12 hours and 48 minutes per week . TSL to digital radios has once again outstripped TSL to radio via the internet which is at 5 hours and 34 minutes .Each of the capital city markets boast up to 22 new, digital only stations on air, plus simulcasts of all AM and FM stations . In 2010 digital radio trial services switched on in Canberra and Darwin . All services have text and slideshow data included in the broadcasts, with many stations having track now playing, news and weather information, as well as advertisements in their slideshow broadcasts. At least one ensemble in each city is broadcasting an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) with the other ensembles expected to follow . DAB+ regional low power trials commenced in Canberra and Darwin in 2010 including a retransmission of the Canberra services inside Parliament House.
30.01.2012
As the radio industry marks two years on air of full power digital radio services, official data relating to digital radio broadcasts in Australia was released by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) , showing there are 940,000 people listening to digital radio in the five state metropolitan capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide and 603,000 digital radios have been sold.
7.6 % of listening to radio is now via a DAB+ digital radio device in the five state metropolitan capitals with Time Spent Listening (TSL) to radio via a DAB+ digital radio device also continuing to grow at nearly 12 hours per week (11 hrs 56 mins). TSL to digital radios has once again outstripped TSL to radio via the internet which is at 5 hours and 56 minutes.
Each market boasts up to 20 new, digital only stations on air. All services have text and slideshow data included in the broadcasts – with many stations having track now playing, news and weather information, as well as advertisements in their slideshow broadcasts. At least one ensemble in each city is broadcasting an EPG – with the other ensembles expected to follow within the next twelve months. In addition DAB+ regional trials have commenced in Canberra and Darwin and a trial is planned for a retransmission of the Canberra services inside Parliament House.
23.08.2011
As the radio industry marks two years on air of full power digital radio services, official data relating to digital radio broadcasts in Australia was released by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) , showing there are 940,000* people listening to digital radio in the five state metropolitan capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide and 508,462 ** digital radios have been sold.
Each market boasts up to 20 new, digital only stations on air. All services have text and slideshow data included in the broadcasts – with many stations having track now playing, news and weather information, as well as advertisements in their slideshow broadcasts. At least one ensemble in each city is broadcasting an EPG – with the other ensembles expected to follow within the next twelve months. In addition DAB+ regional trials have commenced in Canberra and Darwin and a trial is planned for a retransmission of the Canberra services inside Parliament House.
The Australian Government passed legislation on 10th May 2007 to enable the launch of digital radio in Australia. The legislation enables incumbent commercial, national and wide-coverage community radio broadcasters to provide digital radio services on DAB+. The Australian commercial radio industry has pledged to invest up to $400 million over the coming years to roll out digital radio across the country. To date, broadcasters have invested more than $50 million dollars on the DAB+ infrastructure and in excess of $24m in on air promotion
.The Australian radio industry has implemented digital radio using the DAB+ standard in five major cities and intends to roll put DAB+ to all population centres outside of the metropolitan areas. In the future, after full planning has been completed for national Band III DAB+ rollout, the industry is anticipating reviewing the use of DRM for wide and isolated area digital radio coverage. The industry's first priority is the roll out of DAB+ nationally using Band III spectrum.
Australia has hosted a number of study tours for regional neighbours to encourage the take up of DAB+ in the Asia Pacific region.