Post by keith on May 31, 2008 18:27:46 GMT -5
A NEW electronic device that enables mobile phone users to plug into
From The Australian newspaper:
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23774699-30540,00....
A NEW electronic device that enables mobile phone users to plug into
digital radio will rescue digital audio broadcasting.
The British broadcaster Channel 4 Radio, set to launch digital station
E4 Radio this year, is in talks with electronics manufacturers to
create a branded plug-in DAB device for iPods and mobile phones.
DAB radio take-up has been slow, with the device facing numerous
challenges in recent months.
Sources told The Times that, while talks with manufacturers were at an
early stage, the broadcaster was keen to create an E4 or Channel 4-
branded device that would cost no more than pound stg. 20 ($41).
Channel 4 would market the plug-in to young people alongside its new
digital stations.
Channel 4, which headed the 4Digital consortium that won the licence
to launch the second national digital radio multiplex in Britain last
year, has faced some setbacks since the launch of its digital radio
stations. Most notably, GCap, Britain's largest commercial radio
group, announced in February that it planned to leave digital radio,
sending shock waves through the industry and prompting a statement
from the BBC and Channel4 reinforcing their support for DAB.
Separately, the broadcaster, which is to launch the second digital
radio multiplex in a year, has been the subject of a funding crisis.
Although there are 6.5million digital radio sets in Britain, there are
more than 100 million analog sets and only a small proportion of the
country's 30 million cars have the new technology.
The launch of E4 Radio, Channel 4's music station, has already been
put back from its original start date of July, although Channel 4 has
said it hoped to launch it later this year. Channel 4's next two
branded stations, Channel 4 Radio, a speech station, and Pure4, are to
launch in 2009.
Bob Shennan, former BBC Radio 5 Live controller, took up his new role
as director of Channel 4's radio in April.
In December last year, Channel 4 announced the appointment of Shennan
to replace Nathalie Schwarz, who had been promoted to Channel 4's
board.
4 Digital is believed to have held talks with Global Radio -- which
will inherit the first DAB multiplex, Digital One, when it completes
its pound stg. 375million takeover of GCap Media -- about combining
their two digital transmission services.
The Digital Radio Working Group was formed to discuss the future of
DAB and ways of developing it. Members include representatives from
the BBC, commercial radio, British independent regulator and
competition authority Ofcom, the Department for Culture, Media and
Sport, and the manufacturing industry.
The working group is understood to be keen on an increase in the types
of DAB devices available to consumers. While it is thought to be
particularly keen to encourage automobile manufacturers to make
digital radios a standard feature in new cars, other solutions could
include working with the satellite navigation industry to create DAB
radio chips for sat-nav devices.
While Roberts Radio had already produced a DAB plug-in for iPods,
Channel 4 was hoping to be able to use the strength of its brand to
market DAB to young people.
The Times
From The Australian newspaper:
www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23774699-30540,00....
A NEW electronic device that enables mobile phone users to plug into
digital radio will rescue digital audio broadcasting.
The British broadcaster Channel 4 Radio, set to launch digital station
E4 Radio this year, is in talks with electronics manufacturers to
create a branded plug-in DAB device for iPods and mobile phones.
DAB radio take-up has been slow, with the device facing numerous
challenges in recent months.
Sources told The Times that, while talks with manufacturers were at an
early stage, the broadcaster was keen to create an E4 or Channel 4-
branded device that would cost no more than pound stg. 20 ($41).
Channel 4 would market the plug-in to young people alongside its new
digital stations.
Channel 4, which headed the 4Digital consortium that won the licence
to launch the second national digital radio multiplex in Britain last
year, has faced some setbacks since the launch of its digital radio
stations. Most notably, GCap, Britain's largest commercial radio
group, announced in February that it planned to leave digital radio,
sending shock waves through the industry and prompting a statement
from the BBC and Channel4 reinforcing their support for DAB.
Separately, the broadcaster, which is to launch the second digital
radio multiplex in a year, has been the subject of a funding crisis.
Although there are 6.5million digital radio sets in Britain, there are
more than 100 million analog sets and only a small proportion of the
country's 30 million cars have the new technology.
The launch of E4 Radio, Channel 4's music station, has already been
put back from its original start date of July, although Channel 4 has
said it hoped to launch it later this year. Channel 4's next two
branded stations, Channel 4 Radio, a speech station, and Pure4, are to
launch in 2009.
Bob Shennan, former BBC Radio 5 Live controller, took up his new role
as director of Channel 4's radio in April.
In December last year, Channel 4 announced the appointment of Shennan
to replace Nathalie Schwarz, who had been promoted to Channel 4's
board.
4 Digital is believed to have held talks with Global Radio -- which
will inherit the first DAB multiplex, Digital One, when it completes
its pound stg. 375million takeover of GCap Media -- about combining
their two digital transmission services.
The Digital Radio Working Group was formed to discuss the future of
DAB and ways of developing it. Members include representatives from
the BBC, commercial radio, British independent regulator and
competition authority Ofcom, the Department for Culture, Media and
Sport, and the manufacturing industry.
The working group is understood to be keen on an increase in the types
of DAB devices available to consumers. While it is thought to be
particularly keen to encourage automobile manufacturers to make
digital radios a standard feature in new cars, other solutions could
include working with the satellite navigation industry to create DAB
radio chips for sat-nav devices.
While Roberts Radio had already produced a DAB plug-in for iPods,
Channel 4 was hoping to be able to use the strength of its brand to
market DAB to young people.
The Times