Australia Launches Digital Radio
 

Date posted: 2003-12-12
Australia Launches Digital Radio

http://www.rwonline.com/dailynews/one.php?id=4291

Australians will have the opportunity to experience digital radio when major
Sydney commercial and public radio stations begin simulcasting in the
Eureka-147 digital format from Dec. 17.

This is an 18-month industry-wide pilot project, according to the Digital
Radio Development Bureau.

Listener panels will be established in the new year and, in order to reach
the widest range of listeners possible for feedback, a number of consumer
display centers will be launched in early 2004.

Initially 100 listeners will be selected to participate in the trials, with
plans to extend to 500 listeners as a greater range of receivers becomes
available.

Using the Eureka-147 technology, stations can transmit digital audio, plus a
high-speed stream of information that allows the transmission of text and
images with the receivers.

The Sydney trials are the first on VHF Band 3 involving all commercial
broadcasters and the ABC and SBS. Sydney commercial stations 2KY, 2DayFM,
2WS and ABC have been simulcasting on L-Band for 4 years.