Use It Or Lose It: Humbling Digital Transition

Michael Hedges December 5, 2014 Follow on Twitter

The development trajectory for digital radio broadcasting through this century has been anything but linear, exponential or in any way adaptable to a nice presentation graph. Hyperbolic forecasting has been, if anything, a major block in the road. Through their authority over spectrum allocation and, not insignificantly, capital expenses of public broadcasters, governments have considerable influence.

Digital radio is most often identified with the digital audio broadcasting (DAB or DAB+) family of technologies, which uses transmitters quite different from FM and AM/MW. An objective of some involved with DAB development has been to entice or force consumers – you know, the folks – to pitch their analogue radio receiving devices into the local landfill. Other objectives are unrelated to environmental protection. (See more about digital radio here)

Most governments through their media regulators have approved or authorized radio broadcasting on a variety of new platforms. Several have even proposed – with conditions – requiring radio broadcasters to adopt digital transmission platforms with the strong suggestion that analogue days would come to an end. Only the Norwegian government had set a hard deadline for switch-over and, as it neared, began back-tracking. Others have decided to bet on mobile media and internet streaming: 4G is here, then 5G, 6G, 22G. Yippie!!

Sweden’s public and privately owned radio broadcasters proposed to the Culture Ministry an end to analogue broadcasting by 2020 or, certainly, 2024. The competing sectors have agreed to “join forces,” said spokesperson Nina Wormbs, quoted by Dagens Nyheter (December 1). “If the plan is followed, we will have new channels by Christmas 2016.” The incentive for private sector broadcasters is automatic license renewal. “Parliament then decides when public broadcasting and commercial radio ceases FM broadcasting.”

A similar public-private joint committee in Switzerland (DigiMig) made a similar proposal to the Federal Council. In it all broadcasters, with government agreement, are obligated to begin transmitting on the DAB+ platform by 2019. “Since a parallel offering of VHF (FM) and DAB+ significantly increases broadcasting costs for broadcasters, the Confederation's assistance within the framework of technology support is to be greatly expanded and accompanied by information campaigns to encourage the public to purchase DAB+ radios,” said a statement from regulator OFCOM (December 1). FM transmissions will begin disappearing in 2020, ending in 2024. (See OFCOM statement here)

It is no coincidence that this final push for digital radio transition takes place in countries dominated by public broadcasters that hold a financial interest in the DAB technology. Streaming audio is as popular as streaming video on mobile devices and radio listeners need not buy a new receiver when smartphones offer everything and more. “Other services, such as those from the internet, could replace the function of the radio medium,” said the DigiMig report.

In Germany there is greater parity between public and private sector broadcasters and the intense wrangling about radio’s digital future continues. ”Alone we cannot switch from FM to DAB Plus,” said ARD chairman Lutz Marmor to a meeting of public radio people, quoted by digitalfernsehen.de (November 26). “We need the support of the legislature, but also the private channels have to be there to help DAB+ succeed.”

The ARD radio committee indicated FM/DAB simulcasting would continue “as long as necessary” and did not call for a specific FM shut-off date. Although German listeners have many choices on DAB multiplexes and home receiver prices have fallen considerably measurable interest has been tepid. German private sector broadcasters have been vexed by the cost of simulcasting, legal barriers to national coverage, little interest by automakers in offering in-dash DAB receivers and public broadcasters making room on FM for potentially competitive programs by switching specialty programs to DAB.

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