DAB Archives by WohnortLast Update: July 1st, 2009 |
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The stories on this page previously appeared on the Latest Updates page. Please send information and observations to: carey@wohnort.org 2009 Stories from 2008 Stories from 2007 Stories from 2006 Stories from 2005 Stories from 2004 Stories from 2003 Stories from 2002 Stories from 2001 Stories from 2000 |
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June 15th Snapshot added of the world's northernmost ensemble, Nord/Troms/Finnm in Norway. June 14th Snapshots added of the Oslo DMB ensembles MiniTV1 and MiniTV2. June 14th The switch-on date for the new DAB+ transmissions in Sydney has slipped to June 16th. June 14th The various Heart services around the NOW network are in the process of having their Labels de-localised. On NOW Bristol, Heart Bristol has been relabelled Heart. On MXR West & Wales, Heart has been relabelled Heart UK. June 10th The public-service broadcaster SRG/SSR has brought into service a new DAB transmitter in the German-speaking region of Switzerland. Zollhaus extends coverage of the Block 12C ensemble SRG SSR D01 in the Senseoberland, including Plaffeien, Zollhaus and Schwarzsee. The transmitter is under test at the moment and may be subject to interruptions and periods of reduced power. June 10th The switch-on date for the new DAB+ transmissions in Sydney has slipped to June 12th. Commercial Radio Australia has announced that the existing DAB transmissions from Willoughby Tower will cease this week. When the new transmissions begin from Artarmon Tower, they will be on low power and subject to interruptions during the initial test phase. June 10th (3) Canada may be testing DMB. Two data services are reported to have popped up on the Block L18 ensemble in Ottawa CBC Radio-Canada and on the Block L6 ensemble in Toronto CBC DAB. Because both reports arise from observations made (separately) on Perstel portable DAB receivers, no details other than the Service Labels - Ottawa: DMB CBLT and DMB RDI; Toronto: CBLT and RDI - are available at the moment. The bitrates of the Audio Services on both ensembles have been reduced to make room for the newcomers. CBC Radio One and R.C Premiere are running at 96 kbit/s in Mono. CBC Radio Two and Espace Musique are running at 160 kbit/s. In Ottawa, CBC Radio Two and Espace Musique are transmitting PTy=07. The value appears to have been chosen from Table 12 of the Registered Tables where PTy=07=Culture, whereas the Perstel receiver is displaying the value for North America from Table 13 where PTy=07=Adult Hits. June 8th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Membury improves coverage of BBC National DAB in West Berkshire, Swindon and East Wiltshire. June 7th On BBC National DAB, the Service BBC Radio 6Music has sprouted a Secondary Component. R6Mus Slideshow is running as packet data at 8 kbit/s at Protection Level 2. Only one Slideshow has ever been observed on the ensemble at a time. June 6th Details of the Norwegian ensemble Agder/Rogaland updated. June 5th The ABC has announced that its DAB+ transmissions will be "on-air on digital in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth from 1 July 2009". June 5th Commercial Radio Australia has announced that the switch-on of the DAB+ transmitter in Sydney has been postponed to June 10th, citing "weather". The new signals will come from the Artarmon site. The existing DAB transmissions emanate from Willoughby Tower and will cease when Artarmon is brought into service. June 4th PTy values added to Adelaide listing. June 4th Details of the Blocks 9A, 11B and 11C ensembles in Paris updated. June 4th UK TII table updated. June 2nd Bauer EDINBURGH listing updated. Since the last Snapshot was taken, the SId of 96.3 Rock Radio has changed to C886, matching the SId of the Service on Bauer GLASGOW. June 2nd Snapshots added of the two DAB+ ensembles in Brisbane. June 2nd DMB trials are underway in Egypt and Malaysia. In Egypt, a Block 6C ensemble is broadcasting one TV service, one DMB Radio service and one original-flavour DAB service. In Malaysia, a Block 6B ensemble is broadcasting one TV service, one DMB Radio service and one original-flavour DAB service. June 2nd Information added about the Block 10A DMB ensemble BSTV operating in Ghana. June 1st The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN in Northern Ireland. Armagh improves coverage of BBC National DAB in the town itself and the surrounding areas of County Armagh. June 1st On Switch London, the Service ZEE RADIO is reported to have ceased. June 1st On Digital1 Network, the Service Birdsong has been relabelled Amazing Radio and is running at the reduced bitrate of 128 kbit/s. Snapshot updated. May 29th UTV DAB, operators of the Switchdigital ensembles, have invited applications to use capacity on Switch London for full- or part-time services. May 28th (2) On the Block 12D Nordrhein-Westfalen ensemble NRW K12, the Service WDR2 Klassik (D396) has been relabelled KIRAKA and now has the PTy Children's Progs. The bitrate is unchanged at 128 kbit/s, Joint Stereo. The Service domradio is running at the reduced bitrate of 96 kbit/s in Mono. May 28th On UTV Bauer Stoke, the Service Focal Radio has ceased. May 28th Commercial Radio Australia has announced that the switch-on of the DAB+ transmitter in Sydney has been postponed to June 4th, citing bad weather. The new signals will come from the Artarmon site. The existing DAB transmissions emanate from Willoughby Tower and will cease when Artarmon is brought into service. May 27th MXR North West and MXR Yorkshire Snapshots updated. May 27th NOW Leicester and NOW Nottingham Snapshots updated. May 27th The French regulator, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA), has announced the results of the preselection process for Paris, Marseille and Nice. The three cities will be the first to receive the new DMB Radio transmissions - in Paris where some capacity is already available, and in Marseille and Nice following the cessation of Canal+ analogue television in those areas on November 25th 2009. The CSA will launch a consultation in mid-June on the allocation and distribution of the Band III frequencies, the results of which should be published in July. At the end of July, the CSA will publish a timetable for the advertising of future licence areas, including the advertisement of capacity in two regions in December 2009. The results of that process should be known by the end of the first quarter 2010 in time for a launch following the total cessation throughout France of Canal+ analogue television in Band III by December 2010. Paris Association Radio Soleil - (Radio Soleil) Association Radio Notre-Dame - (Radio Notre-Dame) Association ANPHI - (Vivre FM) (temps partagé) Association Fréquence Protestante - (Fréquence Protestante) Association Programme Associatif Radiophonique d'Intérêt Social - (Fréquence Paris Plurielle) Association Radio Aligre dit Aligre FM - (Aligre FM) Association Une Radio étudiante à Paris - (Radio Campus Paris) (temps partagé) Association Les Antennes de la Relève - (Néo) Association Le Carré de Chine - (Radio Mandarin d'Europe) Association diffusion de tout moyen de communication - (Radio Libertaire) Association Radio Pays - (Radio Pays) Association AFAC - (AYP FM) Association Ici & Maintenant - (Ici & Maintenant) Association pour la Communication Juive - (Radio J) Association Fonds Social Juif Unifié - (RCJ) Association pour le Progrès et la Diffusion des Cultures Juives - (Judaïque FM) SAS RTV Multicom - (Voltage) SA Ado FM - (Ado) SAS Ouï FM - (Ouï FM) SA Alfa Diffusion - (Radio Alfa) SAS Société parisienne de Radiodiffusion Culturelle et Musicale - (Générations 88.2) SAS Canal 9 - (Chante France) SARL LVP - (Radio Shalom) SARL Tropiques FM - (Tropiques FM) SAS FG Concept - (Radio FG) SAS Jenioos Media - (R2O - Air 2 Eau) SA SERC - (Fun Radio) SA SODERA - (RTL2) SAS Crooner International - (Crooner Fréquence Numérique) SAS Société Régie Musique Latine - (Latina FM) SAS Radio Classique - (Radio Classique) SARL Espaces TSF - (TSF Jazz) SARL Radio Nova - (Radio Nova) SARL BRTV - (Antinea Radio) SAS Rire et Chansons - (Rire et Chansons) SAS Chérie FM - (Chérie FM) SAS Radio Nostalgie - (Nostalgie) SAS NRJ - (NRJ) SAS Europe 1 Sport - (Europe 1 Sport) SAS Europe 2 Entreprises - (Virgin Radio) SAS RFM Entreprises - (RFM) SA Business FM - (BFM) SAS Aime C2 - (Beur FM) SARL Norsucom - (France Maghreb 2) SA Africa Média - (Africa n°1) SA Vortex - (Skyrock) SARL Jazz France - (Jazz Radio) SAS Regroupement des Radios Musulmanes de France - Radio Orient - (Radio Orient) SA LV & CO - (MFM) Association Comité de Défense des Auditeurs de Radio Solidarité (CDARS) - (Radio Courtoisie) SAS Prefas 1 - (LCI Radio) SA CLT-UFA - (RTL) SNC La Radio du Sport et de l'Information - (RTL L'équipe) SAM Lagardère Active Broadcast - (Europe 1) SAM Radio Monte-Carlo - (RMC) Marseille Association Radio Soleil - (Radio Soleil) Association ADEJM Radio JM - (Radio JM) Association Dialogue la radio des Chrétiens de Marseille Dialogue RCM - (Dialogue RCM) Association Horizon 92 - Diva FM - (Diva FM) Association Radio Lina Marseille Méditerranée - (Radio Lina) Association Galère - (Radio Galère) Association des Amis de la Compagnie Richard Martin et du Théâtre Axel Toursky - (Radio Grenouille) Association A.D.C.O.M.E.A.M - Association pour le Développement de la Culture d'Outre mer et son Expression Artistique en métropole - (Radio Culture Outre Mer) Association RAJE Marseille - (RAJE Marseille) SA Sud Radio Services - (Sud Radio) SAS Intercom 13 - (Radio Star) SARL Canal Star - (Fun Radio Provence) SARL FM Graffiti - (RTL2 Marseille) SAS Chérie FM réseau - (Chérie FM Marseille) SAS Radio Nostalgie Réseau - (Nostalgie Marseille) SAS NRJ Réseau - (NRJ Marseille) SA Europe 2 PACA - (Virgin Radio Provence) SARL RFM Grand Sud - (RFM Provence) SARL Quinto Avenio - (Skyrock Sud) SARL Média Leader - (MFM Méditerranée) SAS FG Concept - (Radio FG) SAS Jenioos Media - (R2O - Air 2 Eau) SAS Société Régie Musique Latine - (Latina FM) SAS Radio Classique - (Radio Classique) SARL Espaces TSF - (TSF Jazz) SARL Radio Nova - (Radio Nova) SARL BRTV - (Antinea Radio) SAS Rire et Chansons - (Rire et Chansons) SARL Ouï FM Numérique - (Ouï FM) SAS Europe 1 Sport - (Europe 1 Sport) SA Business FM - (BFM) SAS Aime C2 - (Beur FM) SARL Norsucom - (France Maghreb 2) Nice Association Radio Campus Côte-d'Azur - (Radio Campus Côte-d'Azur) Association Centre Culturel Alma - (Clin d'OEil FM 106.1) Association Agora FM - (Agora FM) Association Paroissiale de Carros - (Fréquence K) Association Grimaldi FM - (Grimaldi FM) Association RCF Nice Côte d'Azur - (RCF Nice Côte d'Azur) SARL KFM - (Kiss FM) SA Sud Radio Services - (Sud Radio) SARL Radio Emotion FM - (Radio Emotion FM) SARL Nice Music - (Nice Radio) SAS Intercom 13 - (Radio Star) SARL Canal Sud Corsica - (Alta Frequenza) SARL Cannes Radio Diffusion - (Radio Azur) SARL FM Graffiti - (RTL2 Côte d'Azur) SAS Chérie FM réseau - (Chérie FM Côte d'Azur) SAS Radio Nostalgie Réseau - (Nostalgie Nice) SAS NRJ Réseau - (NRJ Nice) SA Europe 2 PACA - (Virgin Radio Côte D'Azur) SAS FG Concept - (Radio FG) SAS Jenioos Media - (R2O - Air 2 Eau) SA SERC - (Fun Radio) SAS Société Régie Musique Latine - (Latina FM) SAS Radio Classique - (Radio Classique) SARL Espaces TSF - (TSF Jazz) SARL Radio Nova - (Radio Nova) SAS Rire et Chansons - (Rire et Chansons) SARL Ouï FM Numérique - (Ouï FM) SAS Europe 1 Sport - (Europe 1 Sport) SAS RFM Entreprises - (RFM) SA Business FM - (BFM) SA Vortex - (Skyrock) SAS Links - (Vitamine) SARL Jazz France - (Jazz Radio) SAS Regroupement des Radios Musulmanes de France - Radio Orient - (Radio Orient) SA LV & CO - (MFM) SAS Prefas 1 - (LCI Radio) SA CLT-UFA - (RTL) SNC La Radio du Sport et de l'Information - (RTL L'équipe) SAM Lagardère Active Broadcast - (Europe 1) SAM Radio Monte-Carlo - (RMC) May 26th The BBC has published a report on the results of a year-long test of DRM in Devon using a mediumwave frequency. The report identifies problems with reception of DRM during the hours of darkness and suggests that "significant re-planning and re-engineering" of the transmission network might be necessary if DRM were to be used for domestic broadcasting in the future. BBC Report May 22nd The government of Panama has adopted the proprietary system IBOC, owned by Ibiquity Corporation of the United States, as the country's official digital radio standard, in preference to DAB (Eureka 147) or DRM. For television broadcasting, Panama has adopted DVB-T. Decree May 22nd DRg London Snapshots updated. May 21st CE London Snapshot updated. May 21st Intermittent DAB+ test transmissions have been reported in Brisbane during the week. The scheduled switch-on date is Monday 25th followed by a period of approximately two weeks further testing during which periods of reduced power and interruptions are possible. May 18th A new ensemble is reported to have popped up in Poland. The transmissions in Wrocław on Block 5B by network operator TP Emitel are a collaberation with public-service radio and the National Institute of Telecommunications. The ensemble will be used to test DAB+ and DMB services. The trial is expected to last six months. May 17th Details of the form of the official public launch in August of Australian digital radio have been announed. Commercial Radio Australia's 42 member stations, along with public-service broadcasters ABC and SBS will all broadcast their breakfast-time programmes from outdoor venues in the five state capitals - in Sydney at Martin Place and in Melbourne in Federation Square. Australia's first DAB+ ensembles are being brought into service now with those of the public-service broadcasters following next month and July. A cautious approach is being taken to the commissioning of the new services because they share frequency spectrum with television. Once the possibility of interference to the existing services has been eliminated, the present reduced-power tests will switch to full-time full power. May 17th The new Block 9B ensemble for Adelaide is reported to be on air with 11 audio services. The transmissions are regarded as tests and for the first couple of weeks may be liable to periods of reduced power, particularly at night, while "potential sources of interference are assessed." The new DAB+ transmissions are co-existing in Band III spectrum with television services. The ABC/SBS ensemble is not expected until June/July. A full public launch of digital radio is now expected in August. May 16th Intermittent DAB+ test transmissions have been reported in Adelaide during the week. The scheduled switch-on date is Monday 18th followed by a period of approximately two weeks further testing during which periods of reduced power and interruptions are possible. May 15th Two DMB ensembles have entered service in the Oslo region. The multiplexes, on Blocks 8C and 11C, are operated by NMTV, a consortium of the Norwegian broadcasters NRK, TV2 and MTG. A number of TV services for reception on small-screen mobile devices is being transmitted. NRK's services will be free to air, while TV 2 and MTG plan to use Conditional Access to provide for paid access to some or all of their services. DMB handheld receivers are reported to be on sale already and these will also receive existing DAB services. According to a WorldDMB press release, the licences of the DMB services run until July 2011 and "may be lengthened if the initial period proves a success." [Wohnort's italics]
May 14th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Aldeburgh improves coverage of BBC National DAB on the Suffolk coast, including the towns of Framlingham, Saxmundham, Leiston and Aldeburgh itself. May 13th The Canadian regulator, the CRTC, has announced an extension to the licences of public-service broadcaster CBC's DAB services to August 31st 2010. Included in the decision, however, are services in Windsor which ceased quite some time ago. This is the third such extension to services on a non-existant ensemble. In announcing that the Windsor ensemble was being renewed two years ago, the CRTC stated that the criteria for renewal was that the multiplex should have been in operation by August 31st 2007. In actual fact, the ensemble ceased over a year before that date.
In London, the Service LBC News 1152 has migrated from CE London to DRg London where it is running at the same bitrate as before. The Service Choice FM has migrated from DRg London to CE London where it is now running at the reduced bitrate of 112 kbit/s. A new Service has popped up on DRg London. NME Radio is running at 80 kbit/s in Mono. May 13th On CE London the bitrates of Services Gold - London and XFM have dropped from 128 to 112 kbit/s. The bitrate of CAPITAL has dropped from 160 to 128 kbit/s. May 13th On MXR North East, MXR North West, MXR MXR West & Wales and MXR Yorkshire the bitrate of Service Choice FM has dropped from 128 to 112 kbit/s. May 13th Off-topic: The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has announced that the licences for three national Digital Terrestrial Television multiplexes has been awarded in principle to One Vision. The original winner of the licences, Boxer DTT Ltd., withdrew several weeks ago, citing the current economic climate and the difficulty in reaching agreement with RTÉ Networks for the provision of the transmission services as the reasons for pulling out. The definitive signing of contracts is still dependent upon successful negotiations between the BCI and One Vision, whose transmission provider is Arqiva. May 11th DAB+ transmissions have begun in Melbourne. 18 audio services are being broadcast using DAB+ on two ensembles. The timetable for the commencement of DAB+ in other capital cities is as follows:- Adelaide 18th May, Brisbane 25th May and Sydney 30th May. May 9th Radioscape, the UK manufacturer of receiver modules, broadcasting and broadcast monitoring systems has been placed in administration. The future of the business now rests with the administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers. May 8th DAB+ transmissions have begun in Perth, Western Australia. Commercial Radio Australia has announced a timetable for the commencement of DAB+ in other capital cities:- Melbourne 11th May, Adelaide 18th May, Brisbane 25th May and Sydney 30th May. Technically, the Perth transmissions are regarded as tests and for the first couple of weeks may be liable to periods of reduced power, particularly at night, while "potential sources of interference are assessed." The new DAB+ transmissions are co-existing in Band III spectrum with television services. May 6th The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has announced transmitter work in preparation for digital radio that will cause service interruptions in the Greater Melbourne area until the end of June. The work, involving interruptions and periods of reduced power during antenna and equipment installation, will affect analogue television and FM radio from the Mt Dandenong site. May 6th The Sächsische Landesanstalt für privaten Rundfunk und neue Medien (SLM) has announced that two new services have popped up on the Block 11A pilot ensemble in Leipzig. 90elf and Rockland+, both commercial radio services, join services from public-service broadcaster MDR on an ensemble and, according to the SLM announcement anyway, can both "be received on DAB+ and DMB-capable receivers." May 1st Australia's new DAB+ transmissions are expected to be activated first in Perth. Mix 94.5, 92.9, Nova 93.7, 6PR, 96 fm, 6ix, Radar, Pink Radio and Novanation should begin broadcasting on Monday, May 4th. The ensemble is expected to occupy Block 9B. DAB+ will be rolled out in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney during the course of May. Public-service broadcasters ABC and SBS are not expected to begin transmissions on Block 9C until July, with ABC citing a delay in the release of funding as the reason for the delay. May 1st A new ensemble has popped up in Leipzig on Block 11A, broadcasting three audio services - one in original-flavour DAB and two using DAB+. These are test transmission and are expected to last until the end of the year. May 1st Ofcom has granted permission for two services, one on CE London, the other on DRg London, to exchange places. LBC News 1152 will migrate to DRg London and Choice FM will end up on CE London. The move will consolidate unused capacity onto one ensemble sufficient for an additional service, NME Radio, expected to be launched in the near future. April 30th NOW Bristol and UTVBauerSwansea Snapshots updated. April 29th NOW Berks&Hants, NOW S. Hampshire, NOW Sussex Coast, NOW Swindon and NOW W. Wiltshire Snapshots updated. April 29th Snapshot of the Block 12C ensemble MXR West & Wales updated. April 29th Snapshot of the current config on the London Block LC ensemble ArqivaExperimntl updated. Being an experimental transmission, these configs tend to be short-lived. April 28th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Truleigh Hill improves coverage of BBC National DAB on the Sussex coast, including the towns of Worthing, Lancing and Hove. April 28th A new transmitter has been added to the Block 11D SFN in England and Wales, Digital1 Network. Taunton improves coverage in south west Somerset, including the important M5 route. April 24th Indonesia has made the DAB/DAB+/DMB family the official national standard for digital radio, according to a report from WorldDMB. A number of test transmissions has already taken place in the country, and a DMB service provided by DMB Nusantra is expected to be launched later this year. April 23rd In Belgium, the media regulator for the French-speaking region, the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA) has launched a public consultation on the migration to digital forms of broadcasting, including digital radio. Belgium has spectrum resources for three layers of DAB coverage. The first layer on Block 12B, covering the entire region is already in use by the public-service broadcaster RTBF using original-flavour DAB. A second layer for the entire region on Block 11B will become available following the cessation of analogue television "La Deux" from Léglise. A third layer, based on the provinces, is not available until the cessation of analogue television on Channel 5 from Wavre and the Channel 11 service from Léglise. The third layer is also restricted by the use of Channel 5 for Canal+ in the north of France (Lille-Bouvigny). The CSA has put out to consultation a proposal that the Channel 11 television service at Léglise should migrate as soon as possible to an available UHF frequency on Channel 60 to permit the early introduction of a second layer of DAB coverage, or whether the second layer should wait until 2012 when the third layer would become available and then both layers could be launched simultaneously. The choice of coding standard for the second and third layers is also included in the consultation - whether respondents would prefer original-flavour DAB, or one of the newer variants T-DMB (DMB-A) or DAB+. The consultation also asks what regulatory or financial measures could secure the entry of the independent sector into digital radio. The period of consultation closes May 31st. April 23rd Off-topic:- The successful applicant for the Irish DTT licences has withdrawn its bid for the three multiplexes on offer. Last summer, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland considered three competing applications and announced Boxer DTT Ltd. to be the winner. Boxer cited the current economic climate and the difficulty in reaching agreement with RTÉ Networks for the provision of the transmission services as the reasons for pulling out. The BCI is to determine whether second-placed bidder One Vision (with Arqiva as its transmission provider) is interested in picking up the licences. April 22nd Details added for the Block 12C Norwegian regional ensemble Trøndelag/Møre og Romsdal. April 22nd A review of the regulation of local content on commercial radio has been published by the UK government. The review, by former GMG Radio chief executive John Myers, makes a number of recommendations, including:- A change in emphasis from measuring the "localness" of a station by the location of its facilities to the content of its output. Regional multiplexes should be permitted to merge to form a quasi-national multiplex (subject to frequency availability) subject to a commitment to cover the whole of the UK by 2015. Local multiplexes that cover 700,000 or fewer adults and are contiguous or overlap with similar multiplexes should be permitted to merge to form larger licence areas. Extension of all multiplex licences to 2030 to aid long-term investment. Radio-specific and cross-media ownership rules to be removed so that competition law would become the single legal constraint. The report proposes that BBC audio, for example in the form of "actuality" and interviews, should be made available to commercial broadcasters.
April 16th On Digital1 Network, the Service D1 Test C (C3C0) has been relabelled BFBS Radio and is now running at the increased bitrate of 128 kbit/s, Joint Stereo. Snapshot updated. April 9th The UK regulator Ofcom has published its response to the government's Digital Britain report. Among it's recommendations, Ofcom proposes allowing the regional multiplexes to be merged and expanded to form, in effect, a second national commercial multiplex run on a regional basis. Ofcom had already proposed that some local multiplexes be permitted to merge to cover larger, more viable areas. April 9th India's National Frequency Allocation Plan contains provision for DAB. According to footnotes in the Plan, DAB may be considered in Band III inititally in the four metro cities and "further introduction of DAB could be considered on a case by case basis". April 9th The UK transmission provider Arqiva has purchased Global Radio's 63% share of Digital One, the UK national commercial multiplex operator. Arqiva already already had a 37% stake in Digital One and so now owns the multiplex outright. With the deal, Arqiva also becomes owner of NOW Digital, one of the UK's local multiplex operators.
April 9th A new Service has popped up on the Block 11D DAB+ ensemble in Budapest. radiocafé joins nine other audio services already running on the pilot multiplex, comprising now four services from Hungarian public-service broadcaster Magyar Rádió, three Hungarian commercial services and three services from Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG/SSR. The test transmissions are expected to last until the end of April. April 9th A new Service has popped up on the Blocks 12D/11C ensemble Berlin/BRBG 12. The service is reported to be running at 128 kbit/s. However, Sunshine Live's tenure is expected to last only until June 30th. April 6th In Israel, it's reported that a tendering process for the operation of the country's DAB multiplexes has failed to find a single bidder. Among the obstacles to finding an operator was a prohibition in the terms of the tender on the participation of existing communications operators. The Israeli government is expected to re-run the process in due course with certain modifications. April 6th On Switch Scotland, the Service Real has been relabelled REAL RADIO. Snapshot updated. April 6th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. West Runton improves coverage of BBC National DAB on the north Norfolk coast, including the towns of Sheringham and Cromer. April 4th The Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien (BLM) has extended the licences of Radio Charivari Rosenheim and Radio Galaxy Rosenheim for a period of four years. Both services will be able to have their licences extended by a further four years if they are broadcast on DAB. April 4th The Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien (BLM) has extended the licence of Cool Radio to broadcast on the local ensemble for Ingolstadt. The extended licence will now expire on 30th April 2011. Cool Radio will be able to have the licence extended by a further four years if they begin to use DAB+ by May 1st 2011. April 4th The number of audio services on Budapest's Block 11D ensemble increased to nine last month with the addition of Gazdasági Rádió. April 4th A number of BBC local radio stations have revised their estimates as to when they expect to become available on DAB. According to the BBC Radio Derby website this week, "it now seems unlikely that we will be on DAB before 2010". This date is probably to be interpreted as the earliest likely date when the Derbyshire ensemble itself will begin broadcasting. The BBC Radio Gloucester website, updated earlier this year estimates "The new Gloucestershire "multiplex" will be on air by early 2010." According to the BBC Radio York website, the North Yorkshire ensemble's operator Muxco "currently aim to launch the service in December 2009." April 3rd The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Beecroft Hill improves coverage of BBC National DAB in and around Leeds. April 1st An additional service is being broadcast on the test ensemble in Auckland and Wellington, Kordia DAB Pilot . Easy Mix is running at 64 kbit/s in Joint Stereo using DAB+. March 31st The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board has made an offer to buy the Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group (MCG) of Australia which has been accepted by the MCG board. Among MCG's assets are a 48% stake in the sole UK transmission (including DAB) provider Arqiva and 100% of Broadcast Australia, one of the country's leading DAB transmission providers. March 31st On NOW Sussex Coast, the Service BBC SCR has been relabelled BBC Sussex. March 31st On MXR North East, the Service Century NE has been relabelled REAL RADIO. March 31st On MXR West & Wales, the Service REAL has been relabelled REAL RADIO. March 31st On MXR North West, the Service Century NW has been relabelled REAL RADIO. Snapshot updated. March 27th Off-topic: Bulgaria has announced contests for the construction and operation of two digital television networks and has invited expressions of interest by April 3rd 2009. The winners, according to the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC), should start broadcasting according to the following timetable:-
March 27th The Czech Council for Radio and TV Broadcasting has licensed two new services to be broadcast using DAB. Radio Proglas is a christian radio station based in Prague. Dance Radio is an Internet station also based in the Czech capital. Eight services of the public-service broadcaster Český Rozhlas that are already being transmitted on Block 10A are now licensed officially:- ČRo 1, ČRo 2, ČRo 3, ČRo REGION, ČRo Wave, ČRo Česko, ČRo Leonardo and ČRo D-dur. March 26th The German Länder have agreed on a formal application to the spectrum regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur, for capacity to run a nationwide DAB+ ensemble. In fact much of the frequency planning work has already been done, to the extent that most of the frequencies that will be used for the DAB+ relaunch are already known, but this latest development is just one more regulatory step towards that goal. The Länder have agreed that the capacity on the nationwide ensemble will be divided one third for public-service broadcaster DeutschlandRadio and two thirds for national commercial broadcasters. In another significant development, the Länder have agreed that each of the regional ARD public-service broadcasters will be permitted to launch a service in its area to be transmitted exclusively on DAB+, and that further applications will be made with the Bundesnetzagentur for spectrum to run Land-wide ensembles and regional ensembles within the Länder. March 24th On NOW Leicester, the Service Gold - Leicester is reported to be running at the higher bitrate of 128 kbit/s and in Joint Stereo. March 24th Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG/SSR has announced more details of its planned migration to DAB+. On the First Layer ensemble in the German-speaking region, SRG SSR D01, at the end of this year/early next year, the existing Services RSR-1ERE and RETE UNO should switch to DAB+. The Service WRS, already available in the other Swiss regions, will be added to the ensemble using DAB+. In 2013, the other services should switch to DAB+. Three of those services - DRS 1, DRS 4 NEWS and DRS MUSIKWELLE - will be simulcast in original-flavour DAB (but in mono) until 2015, when the migration will be complete. Similar timetables will be followed in the French-speaking and the Italian-speaking regions respectively. SRG/SSR has already been able to investigate some of the issues of simulcasting, thanks to the overlap between the service area of SRG SSR D01 and the DAB+ ensemble in Graubünden, SRG SSR R01. The broadcaster investigated broadcasting the DAB and DAB+ versions as primary and secondary components of the same Service. SRG/SSR is satisfied that this approach will not work and that for the Services to be simulcast in both DAB and DAB+ versions, each version must have its own SId. The broadcaster is also clear that the version should be indicated in the Service Label. March 24th On NOW Nottingham, the Service Gold - Notts is reported to be running at the higher bitrate of 128 kbit/s and in Joint Stereo. March 24th On NOW Berks&Hants, 2ten digital has been relabelled Heart Berks&Hnts. On NOW Bristol, gwr bristol has been relabelled Heart Bristol. On NOW Cornwall and NOW Plymouth, plymouth sound has been relabelled Heart Plymouth. On NOW Exeter&T'bay, gemini has been relabelled Heart Sth Devon. On NOW Swindon, gwr swindon has been relabelled Heart Wiltshire. On NOW W.Wiltshire, gwr wiltshire has been relabelled Heart Wiltshire and gwr bath has been relabelled Heart Bath. March 24th On NOW Leicester, NOW Nottingham and NOW W.Wiltshire, the Service Chill has ceased. March 20th A new transmitter has been added to the Block 12A Single Frequency Network in Scotland. Braid Hills improves coverage of Digital1 Network in and around Edinburgh. March 20th A new Service has popped up on the Blocks 11C and 12D ensemble Berlin/BRBG 12. The football service 90elf is running in original-flavour DAB. In Sachsen, the service will use DAB+ on an experimental Block 11A ensemble. March 18th Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG/SSR has announced that the first DAB+ service on one of the established First Layer ensembles (ie outwith Graubünden) will be DRS 1, which is expected to be added to the ensemble in Svizzera Italiana in 2010. Furthermore, SRG/SSR has announced that it will gradually convert the existing services on all First Layer ensembles to DAB+, a process it expects to complete by the end of 2015. March 18th On BBC National DAB, the Service BBC Radio 5live has been relabelled BBC Radio 5 Live. March 16th Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) is now referring to August as the official public launch date for DAB+. Transmissions will begin in May in five capital cities but will run as test transmissions until the public-service broadcasters ABC and SBS are on the air. The ABC has already announced that it will not begin broadcasting until July, citing funding delays. Meanwhile CRA has received expressions of interest in participating in a regional trial of DAB+, with Hobart or Townsville as the likely location. March 16th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Braid Hills improves coverage of BBC National DAB in Edinburgh. March 15th Russia is to adopt DRM for digital radio broadcasting in the medium and high-frequency (medium and short-wave) bands. The decision, reported by the DRM Consortium to have been taken in January, follows test transmissions using the system. More in Russian on the Ministry of Communications and Information website... March 15th The public-service broadcaster All India Radio has begun regular DRM transmissions from a 250 kW shortwave site near New Delhi. The DRM Consortium reports that 4 shortwave transmitters are being converted for DRM and that 42 new medium wave, 36 existing medium wave and 5 new short wave transmitters are also planned to be brought into service. March 15th Various sources report that the service Deutschlandfunk (DLF) is currently being broadcast in the unusual mode Dual Mono. This condition, which has happened before to DLF, is reported to exist in the Landesensembles of Hamburg, Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen and Schleswig-Holstein. It's probable that the service on other ensembles may be similarly affected. March 15th And now it's time for another report on the latest exciting developments in Canadian digital radio. In Toronto, the Block L8 ensemble CH___8 has not been seen for several weeks and is assumed to have ceased. On the Block L3 ensemble CHANNEL3, the Services 680NEWS and CHFI are silent. The Services 1050CHUM and 104.5 CHUM-FM are broadcasting the same audio, but with the left and right channels on one Service reported to be swapped with respect to the channels on the other. The audio on both services is that of the FM station CHUM-FM. On the Block L4 ensemble CHANNEL 4, the Service EZ-ROCK has a permanent heavy offset to the right. On the Block L9 ensemble CHANNEL 9, the Services CJYE and CJMR are silent. The Services CIRV and CFMX are broadcasting out-of-phase audio, while the Service CIAO is broadcasting in Stereo, but with only the left-hand channel modulated.
March 13th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Great Yarmouth improves coverage of BBC National DAB on the East Anglia coast, including the town of Great Yarmouth itself. March 6th NOW Essex Snapshot updated. March 6th DRg London Snapshots updated. March 6th The Indonesian government expects the country's broadcasting system to be fully digital by 2016. The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, quoting the Antara news agency, reports that the Ministry of Information and Communication plans to switch off analogue broadcasting by 2016 at the latest. March 6th NOW Peterborough Snapshot updated. Since the last Snapshot was taken, the Service hereward fm has been relabelled Heart P'borough. The Service passion has been relabelled PASSIONftPLANET. March 6th NOW Cambridge Snapshot updated. Since the last Snapshot was taken, the Service Q103 has been relabelled Heart Cambridge. March 6th NOW Norwich Snapshot updated. Since the last Snapshot was taken, the Service radio broadland has been relabelled Heart Norfolk. March 5th The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has postponed the start of its DAB+ transmissions. The public service broadcaster's digital radio service was scheduled to be launched on May 1st, but will now begin in July. The ABC blames a delay in the confirmation of funding for the necessary equipment and infrastructure. There has been no similar announcement from Commercial Radio Australia, so the assumption must be that they will still launch as planned on May 1st. March 5th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Wye (aka Ashford) improves coverage of BBC National DAB in central Kent, including the town of Ashford. March 5th The London experimental ensemble has been observed on Block LC, this time transmitting from the Croydon site alone. ArqivaExperimntl is currently carrying four audio services in original-flavour DAB. Snapshot updated. March 3rd The Service Focal Radio is reported to have reappeared on UTV Bauer Stoke following an absence of several weeks. March 2nd The transmitted powers used for Switch London have been increased at three sites:- at Crystal Palace the total ERP rises from 2.1 kW to 2.85 kW; at Arkley from 0.1 kW to 0.25 kW; at Otford from 0.175 kW to 0.2 kW March 2nd A new Service has popped up on DRg London. Colourful is running at 64 kbit/s in Mono. The Service FUN radio kids has been relabelled Fun Kids. February 27th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Clifton improves coverage of BBC National DAB in South Yorkshire, especially around the important M1, M18 and A1(M) intersections. February 24th The latest lists from the Bundesnetzagentur, which form the German equivalent of Ofcom's TX Parameters, reveal that transmitter sites Burgsinn, Eichstätt, Grünten, Hof, Hühnerberg, Kinberg and Mittelneufnach have been co-ordinated for use on a future second ensemble for Bavaria, to operate on Block 11D. February 24th MediaWeek reports that 4 Digital Group, the holder of the second national commercial DAB licence, formally handed the licence back to Ofcom on January 30th. Ofcom has yet to make an announcement about the future use of the capacity on the failed multiplex. February 24th The Sächsische Landesanstalt für privaten Rundfunk und neue Medien (SLM) has awarded capacity on an experimental ensemble for the Leipzig region to the sole private-sector applicant, REGIOCAST DIGITAL GmbH. The ensemble will run on Block 11A (216.928 MHz) and will use DAB+. The public-service broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk will use most of the remaining capacity. Regiocast will provide 24-hour, audio-based multimedia service "90elf - Deutschlands erstes Fußballradio" The trials are scheduled to end December 31st 2009, although an extension is possible. The stated purpose of the trials is to study the formation and operation of a DAB+ multiplex prior to the proposed relaunch of digital radio in Germany. February 24th A report on the status of digital broadcasting in Austria has been laid before the Austrian parliament. The country has long had a "wait and see" attitude, attributed to lack of interest from broadcasters and uncertainty about the choice of transmission standard. The report states that while no final decision on that choice has yet been reached, there currently exists in Europe a broad concensus that DAB+ is the most probable system, with DRM+ mentioned as the most likely alternative. Among the factors cited by broadcasters as affecting their attitude to digital radio is the high cost of parallel transmission during a transition period. February 23rd In common with the changes that have taken place in the other Länder, on BAND III HESSEN, the bitrates of Deutschlandfunk and DKULTUR have dropped from 192 kbit/s each to 64 kbit/s Mono and 128 kbit/s respectively. February 22nd In France, the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel has authorised the Syndicat national des radios libres (SNRL) to conduct DRM+ test transmissions in Band I for a period of four months. February 20th On BBC National DAB, the Service BBC Radio 3 has sprouted a Secondary Component. R3 Slideshow is packet data running at 8 kbit/s. February 20th On Switch Scotland, the Service talk107 on 107FM (C782) has ceased. The Service The Arrow - Rock (CBCC) has been relabelled Gold - Scotland. The Service Retune 4 Galaxy (C9CC), which used to point to the same stream as Galaxy, has ceased. February 20th A new ensemble has popped up in Hungary. Eight audio services are being broadcast on Block 11D using DAB+. Five services originate in Hungary (MR1, MR2, MR3, Sláger Rádiő and Magyar Katolikus Rádiő) while, interestingly, three are services of the Swiss public-service broadcaster SRG/SSR (Swiss Jazz, Swiss Classic and Swiss Pop). February 20th In Catalunya, the Block 11D ensemble CATALUNYA RADIO is reported to have ceased late last year. February 20th The transmitted powers used for Switch London have been increased at two sites. At Alexandra Palace the total ERP rises from 0.1 kW to 1 kW and at Guildford from 1 kW to 1.65 kW. February 18th On the Blocks 12D and 11C ensemble Berlin/BRBG 12, the bitrates of Deutschlandfunk and DKULTUR are reported to have dropped from 192 kbit/s for each service to 64 kbit/s Mono for Deutschlandfunk and 128 kbit/s Joint Stereo for DKULTUR. February 18th On the Block 11C ensemble Muenchen, the bitrates of Deutschlandfunk and DKULTUR have dropped from 192 kbit/s for each service to 64 kbit/s Mono for Deutschlandfunk and 128 kbit/s Joint Stereo for DKULTUR. The same changes are reported to have taken place on the other local ensembles in Bayern also. February 18th (2) On Bauer INVERNESS, the Service Moray Firth is reported to have been relabelled MFR TWO. February 17th (2) On the Block 12D ensemble Bayern, the FIC data service E0D11008 (formerly TMC-BDR) has been relabelled MILEurope and now rides as packet data in the same MSC subchannel as the other data services. The new Service has the same SId as the old Service. February 16th In Austria, the Digital Radio Working Group held its first meeting at the beginning of the month. The Group will work to issue a first report in the autumn with recommendations for a successful introduction of digital radio. Both public-service and private sector broadcasters are represented in the working group which also includes representatives from Germany and Switzerland. February 14th In Serbia, the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Society has announced that the country will switch from analogue to digital radio and television broadcasting by 2015. The Ministry of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Broadcasting Agency and the Republican Agency for Telecommunications are working on a common strategy. February 14th The Dutch regulator Agentschap Telecom has awarded two nationwide licences for DMB operators. A Band III licence had two applicants, of which one withdrew, leaving Mobiele Televisie Nederland as the sole candidate. An L-band licence received one application, from Call Max BV. February 14th Switch London Snapshot updated. February 12th On DRg London, NOW Bristol and NOW Essex, passion has been relabelled PASSIONftPLANET. February 12th NOW Essex Snapshot corrected. February 12th Off-topic: Ofcom has announced that DVB-T2 test transmissions will begin this month from the Crystal Palace transmitter. The pilot, using UHF channel 31 will facilitate laboratory tests, field trials and in-home measurements using prototype DVB-T2 receivers. DVB-T2 is new version of the DVB-T specification which increases the data capacity on a multiplex. Used in conjunction with MPEG4 compression, it will enable high-definition services to be broadcast on terrestrial television. Multplex B is to be cleared and upgraded to the new spec and it is expected that the first publicly available broadcasts will begin in the Granada region late 2009 or early 2010. The Crystal Palace tests are due to last most of this year. February 12th Information added for the South Korean city of Busan. February 12th A new data service has popped up on the South Korean ensemble 1to1 since the last Snapshot was taken. CBS Data is running as packet data at 128 kbit/s. February 12th A new data service has popped up on the South Korean ensemble U-KBS since the last Snapshot was taken. KBS TPEG is running as packet data at 64 kbit/s. The DMB service KBS STAR is running at the reduced bitrate of 496 kbit/s and the audio service KBS MUSIC is running at the reduced bitrate of 112 kbit/s. February 11th On UTV Bauer Stoke, the Service Focal Radio has ceased. February 11th Snapshot of Italian MFN DAB RAI updated. February 11th Snapshot of Italian ensemble Club DAB Italia updated. February 10th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Toot Hill improves coverage of BBC National DAB in Southampton, Eastleigh, Totton and the surrounding area, including the important M27, M271 and M3 corridors. February 10th Bauer N.IRELAND Snapshot updated. Despite its low bitrate, the Service talkSPORT was observed to be running at the full-rate sampling frequency. February 8th Off-topic: This afternoon in Berlin, one of Europe's tallest structures, a relic of the cold war, was demolished. The 358m guyed mast at Frohnau (just 10m shorter than the Fernsehturm at Alexanderplatz) provided vital telecommunications links between West Berlin and West Germany from 1979 but became redundant with the demise of the German Democratic Republic. The floor of the equipment room at the top of the mast was the highest floor in the European Union. Microwave dishes on the tower worked across GDR territory to a similar tower in the west at Gartow in Niedersachsen. The heights of the two towers meant that, despite the curvature of the earth, they had direct line-of-sight contact. Previously, over-the-horizon scatter had been used between a shorter, free-standing tower at Frohnau and a similar tower at Clenze in the west. Hintergrund auf deutsch... February 6th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Whitby extends coverage of BBC National DAB to the town of Whitby itself and the surrounding area on the North Yorkshire coast. February 5th Snapshot of the Block 9D Italian ensemble EuroDAB Italia updated. February 5th MXR WestMidlands Snapshot updated. February 4th Off-topic: The United States is to postpone analogue switch-off by four months. The House voted 264-158 today to postpone the date by which all high-power television broadcasting was to be digital. The DTV Delay Act was passed by the Senate last week and now heads to the White House for President Obama's signature. Analogue switch-off, originally due to take place in just twelve days time, will now happen June 12th. There had been growing concern that American viewers, particularly among the poor and minorities and those in rural areas, were unprepared for the switch-off. The American regulator, the FCC, has welcomed the decision. February 4th NOW Essex Snapshot updated. January 31st Snapshot of the Block 8C Italian ensemble C.R. DAB updated. January 30th The BBC has added two new transmitters to its Block 12B SFN. Thanet improves coverage of BBC National DAB in the towns of Margate and Ramsgate in the east of Kent. Crockerton improves coverage in West Wiltshire. January 29th In Switzerland, the Block 12D ensemble in Graubünden has entered official public service following a period during which it was still considered to be under test. Similarly, those sites on other ensembles whose radiated powers had been increased to GE06 levels are now also in full service. The transmitter map on the SRG/SSR DAB website looks impressive these days, with a dense network of sites between them covering four ensembles throughout the country. As the map reveals, eight further sites are to be equipped shortly:-
The UK government has published an interim report "Digital Britain", part of which forms its response to the Digital Radio Working Group's recommendations of last year. The report accepts most of the DRWG's proposals:-
The government explicitly rejects a DRWG proposal that Ofcom should have the power to extend multiplex and analogue licences beyond their current terms but says it will keep the proposal under review and will work with Ofcom to "explore further... which of the recommended incentives and investments it would be appropriate to pursue." The government will work with World DMB to implement its European 'Digital Radio Receivers Profiles', which will effectively create a single market for digital radio in the European Union. The final version of the government's Digital Britain report will be published in the summer. January 28th In Saarland, the L-band ensemble DRSaar 2 has ceased. January 26th On the ensemble SRG SSR F01 in Suisse Romande, the French-speaking region of Switzerland, the Service CH-CLASSIC (42F2) has ceased. A new Service has popped up. CH-Classique (43F4) is presented entirely in French, unlike the previous bilingual service, presented in French and German. On the ensemble SRG SSR D01 in the German-speaking region, the service CH-CLASSIC (42F2) continues, but is now moderated entirely in German. January 25th The UK regulator Ofcom is to put licensing in place to allow retailers to install DAB repeaters in stores and thus allow DAB receivers to be demonstrated. Many such stores are located in steel-framed buildings and often on the ground floor or at basement level. In a year-long trial, repeaters were installed in branches of Currys Superstores and John Lewis. According to reports, some stores experienced 30% more sales because customers were able to try the radios in-store. The licensing is to be opened up to all retailers and will be managed by the Digital Radio Development Bureau. January 23rd The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Oulton Park improves coverage of BBC National DAB in the town of Lowestoft and the Broads. January 22nd UK TII table updated. January 20th A working group has been formed in Austria, on the initiative of the Bundeskanzleramt, to prepare and steer the introduction of digital radio in the country, with membership drawn from the Austrian regulator KommAustria-RTR, the public-service broadcaster ORF, private broadcasters and the government. January 20th UK TII table corrected. January 20th A new L-band ensemble has popped up in the Czech Republic's second city, Brno. Five audio services from public-service broadcaster Czech Radio are being broadcast on Block LE - two in original-flavour DAB and three in DAB+. The trials are scheduled to last approximately one month. Previous trials have been conducted in Prague, Plzen and Pribram. January 19th Digital One has advertised capacity on the UK national commercial ensemble. As an incentive for approved applicants, Digital One anticipates that carriage charges will be set lower than its 2008 rate card, however Digital One says applicants should expect to contribute to its transmitter rollout programme in future years. January 17th In Toronto, the Block L3 ensemble, CHANNEL3, has popped up again after a couple of weeks' absence. Two of the audio services, 680 NEWS and CHFI, are reported to be silent however. January 15th In Saarland, the Services bigFM SAARLAND and RADIO SALUE have migrated from the L-band ensemble DRSaar 2 to the Band III ensemble DRSaar 1. Digital Radio Saar, the multiplex operator, has announced that, in common with other Länder, the L-band ensemble will cease - in this case at the end of the month. It is likely that there have been bitrate reductions of the existing services in Band III in order to accomodate the newcomers. January 15th In Vancouver, the Block L5 ensemble CBC/SRC has reappeared after a period of silence, blamed on snow on the antenna. January 15th The Sächsische Landesanstalt für privaten Rundfunk und neue Medien has advertised capacity on an experimental ensemble to test DAB+ in Leipzig and the surrounding area. The ensemble will run on Block 11A (216.928 MHz). 216 CU are on offer. The remainder will be used by the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk. The trials are scheduled to end December 31st 2009, although an extension is possible. Closing date for applications is January 21st, 2009. January 14th Südtirol Snapshots updated: the ensembles DABMEDIA 9D, RAIRASDAB12A, RASDAB12D and RASDab LG. January 14th In the bleak midwinter... The last remaining ensemble in Vancouver, CBC/SRC on Block L5, appears to have ceased with no transmissions having been seen recently. There are now no DAB transmissions in Canada west of Toronto, although here also the situation looks grim. The Blocks L3 and L8 ensembles, CHANNEL3 and CH___8 respectively, appear to have ceased. This leaves three ensembles remaining in Toronto, CHANNEL 4 on Block L4, CBC DAB on Block L6 and CHANNEL 9 on Block L9. CHANNEL 9 continues to be, er, idiosyncratic, with out-of-phase audio on some services and left-channel-only audio on others. January 13th On the Blocks 5C and 12A ensemble Sachsen K12A and on the Block 12B ensemble DABTHUERINGEN, the Service DEUTSCHLANDFUNK is reported to be running at the reduced bitrate of 64 kbit/s. January 13th Snapshot of the Block 12A ensemble Muenchen IRT updated. January 13th Snapshot of the Block 11D ensemble Muenchen BR updated. Since the last Snapshot, the SId of BR Bayern 3 has changed. January 12th Snapshot of the Block 12B ensemble TV Slovenija updated. Since the last Snapshot, the SId of RADIO SI has changed. January 12th UK TII table updated (addition of Abergavenny, Arfon and Chesterfield to BBC National DAB) and corrected (addition of Cave Wold to MXR Yorkshire). January 12th The BBC has added a new transmitter to its Block 12B SFN. Chesterfield improves coverage of BBC National DAB in the town of Chesterfield and the surrounding area of northeast Derbyshire. January 12th Snapshots added of the Block 12B Venezia ensemble AERANTICORALL01 and the Block 12C Bologna ensemble AERANTICORALLO02. January 12th On the Block 12C ensemble BAND III HESSEN, the audio services harmony.fm and planet radio as well as the packet data services, are reported to have ceased, leaving just the two services DEUTSCHLANDFUNK and DKULTUR running. January 12th Snapshot of the Block 12D ensemble for Graubünden SRG SSR R01 added. Snapshot of the Block 12A ensemble for the Italian-speaking region SRG SSR I01 updated. January 11th In Israel, the Block 12A ensemble ceased some time ago. A tendering process for a new network operator is underway, after which transmissions are expected to resume but using DAB+. January 11th On the block 12A Belgian ensemble VRT DAB, the service Radio Donna has been relabelled MNM. The service Radio Donna has been relabelled MNM hits. January 11th On the Block 11C ensemble Muenchen, the Service * NOVA * RADIO * has ceased. January 10th In Sachsen-Anhalt, the L-band ensembles HALLE and MAGDEBURG have ceased and the DMB test transmissions ended. The audio services on the ensembles, Brocken digital and * NOVA * RADIO *, have migrated to the Block 12C ensemble Sachsen-Anhalt and consequently now have Land-wide coverage. Radioforum reports the bitrate of DEUTSCHLANDFUNK on the Band III ensemble has dropped to 64 kbit/s and Mono to accomodate the newcomers. January 10th A new service has popped up on the Belgian ensemble RTBF.DAB Radio. BRF2, the second programme of the German-language broadcaster is reported to be running at 64 kbit/s. January 2nd In Germany, the broadcasting commission of the Länder has decided to postpone until March 2009 any application to the spectrum regulator for frequencies for a nationwide DAB ensemble. The decision means yet another delay to the promised relaunch of digital radio in Germany. The media website Kress attributes the delay to the northern Länder wanting to ensure that the public-service broadcaster NDR is authorised in the forthcoming broadcasting treaty between the Länder to broadcast additional services using DAB. However, the Kress report includes one media opinion describing the latest delay as "fatal". January 1st The Hong Kong government has announced plans to auction frequencies for mobile television services in 2009. One frequency will be allocated in UHF and two frequencies in Band III. Half of the available capacity will be required to be used for mobile TV, while the remaining capacity may be used for non-TV uses such as digital audio broadcasting or datacasting. The geographical coverage of the multiplexes should be such as to serve at least 50% of the population. January 1st On the Norwegian national ensemble Norge Riks, the service P4 Bandit has ceased. The commercial broadcaster's other service, P4 LydenAvNorge, continues at the increased bitrate of 192 kbit/s. P4 Bandit is to be streamed on the internet as a music-only service. January 1st As previously announced, the Austrian test ensembles DAB ORF TIR in Innsbruck and DAB ORF-WIEN in Vienna have ceased. Stories from 2008 Stories from 2007 Stories from 2006 Stories from 2005 Stories from 2004 Stories from 2003 Stories from 2002 Stories from 2000 and 2001 |
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