Just stumbled upon the fact that Germany and Switzerland have said 'No' to the idea of DAB in their countries. They're not willing to invest in switching over from FM/AM in the same way the UK has...apparently.
Now, I'm no DAB expert, but having a powerhouse like Germany and a financial stronghold like Switzerland supporting the technology be better than them not, wouldn't it?
Someone will fill me in, I hope, because there must be another side to this than I can see.
The post I came across is here:
http://grantgoddardradioblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/commercial-radio-in-germany-and.html
**UPDATE**
Thanks to the two knowledgeable experts who got in touch to set me straight. Appreciate the info.
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5 comments:
Ah just as well I do know a little about DAB! Couple of things to bear in mind ...
1 - Grant Goddard is not a fan of DAB
2 - The German Government have been subsidising DAB for the past 10 years. The stations have taken the money and done the minimum. Now the government has pulled funding the stations are rightly p**sed.
3 - If you read the story carefully you'll see German broadcasters have said no to *funding* DAB. In the current climate they're not funding anything. DAB is still on the cards ... it's just on hold.
Read my totally bias pro-DAB blog at www.digitalradioltd.com !!!
Cheers
Dusty Rhodes
The current trend over the past few days to jump on the “Band Wagon” of beating the DAB “Dog” is such that one really has to question the motivation for the comments.
A huge amount of selective reporting is going on here – for example.-
GERMANY.
1. Germany has REDUCED not CANCELLED funding for DAB. This was because the Government saw DAB as having proven itself and was now ready to support itself on the commercial stage without being funded centrally.
2. The German Government’s SUPPORT for DAB is such that it has actually enabled regional and even National DAB licences.
SWITZERLAND.
1. DAB has been a huge success in Switzerland to the extent that receiver sales have grown by a factor of 10 in six months.
2. The support for DAB from the Swiss Government is such that NEW licences have been issued and the services will start this Autumn for the German speaking areas, with the French and Italian areas following
3. Broadcasters and audiences excitedly awaiting theses new services – as they will be the herald for the range of associated Data services that are then enabled.
Similar expansion is taking place around Europe – and beyond.
Finally – A VERY important point to note here – unlike many other comments that are circulating at the moment, - the information here is CORRECT and current. I aught to know as I am the individual that has secured the contracts for the systems and has the signed purchase orders for these and MANY other systems filed safely away!
@Tony Orwin: Maybe you are just the man to clear up a possible misconception, that has been going around with the listeners; the users of radio, rather than the broadcasters or the government themselves who have a vested interest in DAB succeeding.
The general consensus seems to be that DAB would render ALL radios useless. Therefore every radio, be it portable or as a stereo unit, will have to be replaced by DAB units. This would mean a great expense to the listeners and a huge amount of perfectly good equipment being taken to landfill. A waste of spectacular proportions and an investment for all listeners which they, in this current economic climate, can do without, quite frankly.
The other point is that there aren't any DAB car radios yet. This would mean that after the introduction of DAB as a replacement of FM/AM, nobody will be able to listen to the radio in their cars anymore, when they rely on radio not just for entertainment, but also for news, weather and most of all traffic updates.
If these assumptions are wrong, please feel free to correct them, as you are obviously the man in the know. But at the moment it seems to me, that DAB is a great idea, but currently way to impractical to implement from a listeners point of view.
@RojanUK - I've had a DAB radio in my car for the last five years. It comes as standard in many upmarket cars - the Audi A8 for example - and factory fit for virtually every car out there. And it works fantastically.
Facts versus hype - always a good plan.
@James Cridland: That's exactly why I asked Tony to clear up this possible misconception... I said that clearly and therefore did not take hype for fact, but asked whether or not the hype was fact.
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