Australia - Current situation - History

19.08.2010

A year after launching DAB+ services in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, Commercial Radio Australia reported more than half-a-million people  listening to digital radio in an average week and three times the predicted number of digital radio sets in the market at nearly 150,000.  Each market boasts up to 18 new, digital only stations on air. 

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+. 

While the Australian radio industry has implemented digital radio using the DAB+ standard, this may be supplemented by the use of DRM in rural and regional areas in the future.  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. Australia is also working with other Asia Pacific countries to encourage the take up of DAB+.

 

12.08.2010

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+. 

While the Australian radio industry has implemented digital radio using the DAB+ standard, this may be supplemented by the use of DRM in rural and regional areas in the future.  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. Australia is also working with other Asia Pacific countries to encourage the take up of DAB+.

 

08.09.2008

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+.  However there is a "use it or lose it" start up deadline which requires broadcasters to launch at some point between January and July 2009.

The Australian radio industry plans to implement digital radio using the DAB+ standard. This may be supplemented by the use of DRM in rural and regional areas in the future and 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.  Australia is also working with other Asia Pacific countries to encourage the take up of DAB+.

Key tenders for the infrastructure build (site access, transmitters, multiplexers, system integration, project management) were awarded in mid-2008.