DBS 2015
region for DAB+. Says Joan Warner, CEO of Commercial Radio, Australia and Asia-Pacific Chair of WorldDMB.
T
he theme of her industry keynote address at DBS 2015 was: ‘HOW ASIA PACIFIC
ADOPTION OF DAB+ CAN DRIVE INNOVATION’.
Joan Warner said that radio is still one of the most influential, most loved and most used of media in the Asia-Pacific region. “Radio is often forgotten or overlooked and we are sometimes so bedazzled by the glamour of new media that we forget the very real and important role broadcast radio plays in the lives of tens of millions of people every day”, she said.
The radio industry is a healthy and growing part of the media sector in this region with a dynamic radio industry offering a wide variety of radio stations, in a multitude of languages. The predicted growth figures for the region indicate there will be 2 billion people living in Asian cities in just 10 years in 2025 and 3 billion by 2050. It is generally known that an increase in population would lead to an increase in demand for energy efficiencies and people would want more and better information.
According to Joan Warner, DAB+ broadcast technology can be the ideal solution here and there is no reason that radio broadcasters should accept that they should remain forever a limited analogue environment when every other medium is moving to digital.
She thinks that mobile networks simply cannot provide a robust, high quality free to air alternative to radio’s broadcast power when we want to reach massive audiences live at the same time.
The WorldDMB Chair for the Asia- Pacific regions underlined that DAB+ broadcast technology is free to receive and is, long term, more cost efficient
20 ABU News
High interest in the Asia-Pacific
for broadcasters, uses less power and takes up less space and assists governments in making best use of limited spectrum. It can host up to 27 stations, these costs can be shared and energy and equipment bills reduced. In Australia, DAB+ has already hundreds of receivers available now from as little as AUD $17 (10 Euro) and with Asia- Pacific advances in adoption, these prices should tumble even further.
Coming directly to the upcoming radio landscape in the region, Joan Warner stated that South Korea adoption of DAB+ would help encourage high profile worldwide smartphone brands such as LG and Samsung to support DAB+ digital radio.
She made a brief overview of positive developments concerning radio digital broadcasting in the region. In Thailand NTBC is working with the ITU to model the phasing and costs of rolling out DAB+ digital radio in the country. Thailand is actively working towards a large scale DAB+ trial in 2015.
Indonesia’s national broadcaster, RRI, became a new member of WorldDMB and, at the end of last year. Together with the regulator MCIT, a private technical workshop was held to advance their planning for expansion of the Jakarta DAB+ trial.
In Malaysia, the national broadcaster, RTM, hosted a WorldDMB workshop and drive tests last year. The regulator is supportive and the local Digital Radio Committee is preparing a report with recommendations for next steps and the future.
In Vietnam, the new technical director of VOV held a follow up digital radio workshop in October 2014 which was attended by several WorldDMB members.
In Australia, DAB+ is in the five major cities and two trial cities and already provides 64% population coverage. Reception continues to improve with 11 low cost repeaters licenced and built this year. Over 2 million DAB+ digital radio devices have been sold and three million people listen to free to air radio each week on DAB+ radios.
Businesswise, said Joan Warner, the adoption of DAB+ in the Asia-Pacific region would open up the mass market that the manufacturers are looking for, to drive the ongoing innovation in receivers. She announced that bone of WorldDMB’s key focuses in this next 12 months is working with handset manufacturers to make free broadcast DAB+ available in smartphones – this is the next big step up for the technology.
WorldDMB also works closely with vehicle manufacturers from around the world. A large percentage of radio listening around the world is done cars. Nearly 30 vehicle manufacturers worldwide are currently including DAB+ digital radio. The growing middle class consumer in this region will drive demand in vehicle sales. A Nielsen global study last year reported vehicle purchase intent is high in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, all ranking in the top 10 countries globally for intention to acquire a car with DAB+ radio within the next two years.
Joan Warner concluded that WorldDMB is willing to offer whatever help, advice and support broadcasters and regulators may need to move radio forward and ensure its future in the digital world.
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