Broadcasters hail Government’s digital radio report

Both the Australian commercial and community radio sectors have hailed the Federal Government’s new report on digital radio services.

Prepared by the Department of Communications, The Digital Radio Report recommends the establishment of a Digital Radio Planning Committee for Regional Australia. To be chaired by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, it will focus on the rollout of digital radio to regional areas where it is economically feasible to do so.

It is expected that permanent services will be licensed in Canberra and Darwin where trials have been underway since 2010, before the roll-out in other areas.

The report noted that listenership in the five capital cities has reached almost 25% (3.2 million) since digital’s 2009 launch, and that 190,000 vehicles from 26 makes have been sold with digital radio players.

The Government’s view is that, in the short and medium term, digital radio will operate as an ‘also’ medium rather than replace current services. The Committee is expected to look at ways to simplify the regulatory framework and remove current obstacles, and also to identify new players if regional services are not on-air by mid 2018.

Joan Warner, CEO of Commercial Radio Australia (CRA), applauded the report, saying, “This means that regional Australians will not suffer a digital divide in relation to free to air broadcast radio but will eventually be on an equal footing with their metropolitan counterparts.”

She added, “The radio industry has invested in a robust reliable future broadcast technology that is easy for listeners to access, remains free, live and local with additional choice and content.

“Broadcast radio plays a vital role in metropolitan and regional areas with the provision of local news and local emergency services information, so it is very important we continue to provide free to air broadcast radio services into the future.”

The Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) welcomed the report’s acknowledgement that community radio needed funding to enter the digital radio space, “and we’ll continue to work with the Government to ensure that this funding is adequate.”

CBAA President Adrian Basso emphasised, “Digital radio is the primary free-to-air broadcast technology in Australia’s multi-platform digital media environment. Community radio is an essential part of the mix of digital services.

“Radio is a free media. As everything and everyone moves digital it is important that at least a primary set of media services stay freely available. Government legislation has ensured a primary set of free-to-air digital radio services is available in each area where digital radio has been implemented. Facilitating the extension to regional areas is welcomed.

“As well as free-to-air digital radio, the CBAA believes that it is in the public interest for Government to legislate for the primary set of radio services to be available via online and mobile on an unmetered basis."

The Digital Radio Report is at communications.gov.au/publications/digital-radio-report.