WorldDMB Press Release: Report to UK Government Supports DAB for Digital Radio Future

25.06.2008 - - United Kingdom

An official interim report commissioned by the UK Government has endorsed DAB as the main platform for Digital Radio and includes proposals for analogue switch off, this gives an injection of new confidence into the country's radio industry.

London, 25th June 2008

WorldDMB supports the interim report issued by the UK Digital Radio Working Group (DRWG). The DRWG brings together the UK radio industry including the BBC, commercial broadcasters, manufacturers and the UK Government Department of Culture, Media and Sport. It recommends the establishment of a timetable to switch from analogue to DAB digital radio in the UK with a suggested completion date of 2020. The interim report suggests that all national, regional and larger local radio stations would be broadcast on DAB digital radio, with some FM frequencies retained for small and community radio stations.

Commenting on the report, WorldDMB President, Mr Quentin Howard, said: "WorldDMB welcomes this report and notes in particular the strength of support given to DAB by the whole UK broadcast industry and Government. This is an important milestone in the roll-out of digital radio and will give added confidence to other European countries that the DAB family of standards is the right choice for a pan-European digital radio future."

The Chairman of the DRWG, Barry Cox said: "At the end of May this year, sales of DAB sets exceeded seven million. We believe radio must have a digital future and that this will benefit both listeners and industry. Audiences will be able to enjoy increased functionality and more choice of channels, while the industry will no longer have to sustain the increased transmission costs of broadcasting on multiple platforms."

The UK Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham, told the UK Parliament "I believe radio must have a digital future if it is to remain relevant. I am pleased that the group has set a possible framework for digital radio migration".

The Eureka 147 standard which includes DAB, DAB+ and DMB is the most successful digital radio standard with services launched successfully in many countries including Denmark, UK, Norway, Belgium and Switzerland, and trials or rollout of DAB, DAB+ and DMB are taking place in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Malta, Greece, India, Russia, South Africa, South America and in the Far East. The Eureka 147 family of standards will provide mobile TV and digital radio during the 2008 Olympics in China and is the national standard for digital radio in Australia with the launch of services starting in 2009.

ENDS

For more information contact Rosemary Smith, WorldDMB on +44 20 7288 4645 or email Rosemary.Smith@worlddab.org

Notes to Editors:

The foundation standard DAB and related standards such as DAB+/DMB can be seen and heard in nearly 40 countries from Canada to Australia, across Europe and the Far East. Countries including India and South Africa are testing DAB and developing consumer trials. More than 500 million people worldwide are within range of a DAB/DMB transmitter, and there are nearly 1000 services on air. Created from the onset to enable mobile reception with audio, video and multimedia capabilities, the DAB standard has recently extended its lead into the world of mobile multimedia delivery through its compatible DMB application. DMB is DAB's Mobile TV solution and shares the same core standard, infrastructure and receiver technology. The launch of the world's first Mobile TV services took place in Korea in December 2005 using DMB technology. DMB is on-air in China in five major cities including Beijing, and more DAB, DAB+, and DMB services are expected to launch in Europe during the next year. The addition of DAB+ as a highly efficient audio coding has been ETSI standardized and many countries throughout Europe and in the Asia Pacific are planning commercial launches of DAB+ digital radio services in 2008.

Click Here for the Digital Radio Work Group Interim Report

Click Here to download this Press Release

- Digital Radio Working Group sets out vision for digital future, From DCMS

- Digital Radio Working Group Report, From DRDB

- Digital radio switchover could be completed by 2020, From Media Guardian

- Working group: Turn off analogue radio, From Current IT news from heise online, UK

- Radio digital switchover proposed, From BBC News, UK

- UK radio to go completely digital by 2020, From Marketing Week, UK

- Analogue radio could be history by 2020...if Ofcom wins the day, From Sunday Herald, UK

- UK radio to go completely digital by 2020, From bizasia.co.uk