Radio people get very excited about DAB and it’s ability to offer more radio stations. One of the key drivers for DAB consumers is the amount of new stations available. This in itself though is not enough.Completely ignored is DAB’s ability to transmit data. This could be as simple as displaying the name of a song playing now on air, the name of the programme or guest currently being interviewed. It can expand to a full EPG showing all the programmes on a station during the day. Best yet is the ability to send pictures using Slideshow or interactive mini-websites with Broadcast Website that people can see right there on a small screen on their radio.

We live in a world where the iPhone or the Nokia N95 have set the standards for portable media devices. Where has radio progressed on these devices? The N95 will display the station frequency and the iPhone doesn’t have radio.

This is where the real danger lies for radio.

We have a great product. A medium that can create magic, that touches people in a unique emotive way, that’s instant, portable and allows you to do other things while you listen. If we don’t present radio to the same standard people are enjoying their mp3 music then we will suffer.

Radio needs to go colour.

Start thinking about DAB as a way to present radio as amazing audio coming from a speaker with programme related information displayed on a colour screen. After you get over thinking how “cool” that would be start thinking how much more an advertiser will pay to have their logo or pitch displayed on this screen. Start thinking about a whole raft of new advertising opportunities this presents and the euro’s you will see … in full colour of course.

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