Media Release
Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity
Report canvasses regional digital radio options
A report tabled in Federal Parliament this week will assist with the rollout of digital radio in regional Australia, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said today.
"The Gillard Government is committed to ensuring all Australians can enjoy the benefits of digital radio," Senator Conroy said while addressing the Commercial Radio Australia annual conference on the Gold Coast.
"The findings of the Review of Technologies for Digital Radio in Regional Australia, which was tabled on Wednesday 12 October in Federal parliament, will help inform the complex planning and policy issues surrounding the regional rollout."
The review of technologies for the transmission of digital radio broadcasting services in regional Australia was required by section 215A of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.
Themes raised by organisations and members of the public in the review included:
- The importance for regional consumers of high quality audio, additional digital-only services, good value receivers and good geographic coverage across regional areas;
- A preference for DAB+ as the primary digital radio technology in Australia;
- A preference for DRM (DRM30 in the Medium Frequency bands or DRM+ in the VHF bands) to be used to supplement DAB+ services in some regional areas; and
- Reserving spectrum in the Medium Frequency and Very High Frequency bands to enable digital radio services to be provided in regional areas.
Digital radio was launched in 2009 in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to supplement, but not replace, analog (AM and FM) radio services.
"The platform continues to grow and provides radio listeners with access to additional services from commercial, national and wide-coverage community broadcasters," Senator Conroy said.
"Trial broadcasts of digital radio services are also being conducted in the Canberra and Darwin regional licence areas."
The review was undertaken by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy with technical input from the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
The report is available online at www.dbcde.gov.au/regionaldigitalradio
Date: 14 October 2011
Contact: Lyall Johnson 0408 258 457
