With Australian public service broadcasters ABC and SBS signing onto the DAB platform this week it’s a good opportunity to review the scene Down Under.
The move to digital has very much been driven by Commercial Radio Australia, the umbrella body which represents commercial broadcasters. Their CEO Joan Warner saw the potential in DAB early on and has rallied the entire industry to adopt the platform.
Some of their reasons for going DAB include:

Modernise the industry

Anti-satellite radio move

Data transmission offers new revenue opportunities

If they don’t someone else will

The last point is key …

Following Norway’s commitment to convert to DAB by 2012, and the UK’s decision to name 2015 as the switch-over date to DAB, Denmark are also following a DAB only future.
This came about because the Danes needed to decide on what to do with their existing FM network. Do they re-work and upgrade FM or go for a digital future?
As it turns out DAB has enjoyed a very successful start-up in Denmark. It offers listeners 13 extra stations they can’t get on FM. Not surprisingly take up has been very strong …