Digital radio describes radio technologies which carry information as a digital signal. The launch of AM radio during the 1920s signaled the first generation and was followed in the 1970s by FM (Thomson, 1997). Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) website says digital radio will herald the third generation of radio. This claim comes despite digital radio being in it's infantcy in Australia (Day, 2004). The government has committed to introduction of radio by 2006. The CRA has secured free spectrum on the L and VHF frequences for incumbent broadcasters, with a 20 year simucast period and a 10 year moratorium on all new licences (Day, 2004).
The federal government has been criticised for abnegating leadership on the issue to industry group Commercial Radio Australia (Schulze, Jane 2004). The Commercial Radio group has been accused of ‘going slow to protect its members, who have invested hundreds of millions in analogue licences’ (Schulze, Jane 2004). CRA state they have been cautious in commiting to one broadcast system until it could be determined which was best. The UK have been using Eureka 147 to digitally broadcast for the past 15 years using and in September 2004, the CRA committed to begin trials in Sydney and Melbourne.
See also:
Day, Mark 2004, 'So Little, So late, but Radio Finally Goes Digital,' Publiched in the Australian, July 21, 2004.
Schulze, Jane 2004, 'Radio airs Frustration over Digital Plan Delay'Publiched in the Australian, July 22, 2004.
Thomson, V. (1997) Byte.com - web and radio broadcasting [on-line] Available at: http://www.byte.com/art/9712/sec17/art2.htm Accessed October 21, 2004.
