04-07-2012, 02:44 PM
Digital Audio Broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting.pdf (Size: 458.48 KB / Downloads: 67)
Introduction
Radio will only survive as an independent medium in the long run – if it goes digital. Radio
broadcasting would probably be marginalized in a multimedia environment, losing its vital
role and its independence as a medium, if it remained analogue. In particular, its role at local
level would be highly endangered. The digital future thus opens up new possibilities for
Radio but its two principal features – namely its ubiquity and friendliness – should remain.
The Eureka-147 DAB system [10] is the right technology to bring digital radio to the marketplace.
But it is not just the technology that matters. The success of digital radio will depend
on many non-technical factors, such as:
how aware the potential listeners are of DAB and its advantages compared to analogue
radio services;
DAB
what the incremental value of a new car, fitted with a DAB
receiver, will be;
what the spectrum savings would be in the long term, due
to the migration of FM to DAB.
Of course, DAB is not the only pipe that can convey digital
radio programmes to the listener. It is but one piece in a large
jigsaw of potential FM-substitute or competitor systems.
Other technologies that will allow us to access digital radio
include: the Internet; various DVB channels (satellite, cable,
terrestrial); different storage devices; DRM; WorldSpace; ADR,
etc. This being said, the Eureka-147 DAB system is probably
the strongest candidate to carry future digital radio services.
In 1999, it can safely be said that there is no serious alternative
system to Eureka-147 for delivering digital radio terrestrially
across Europe – particularly in the mobile environment where
much radio listening takes place.
Investments in DAB
The economic aspects of the introduction of new DAB technology
have so far been rather neglected and, indeed, underestimated.
But the fact is that the public broadcasters and
manufacturers in Europe have invested significant money in
the making of DAB and, fortunately, the point of “no return”
has been reached; otherwise, these investments would have
been lost.
Sceptics will say that the current DAB coverage in Europe is
still patchy. The current and/or near-future DAB coverage in
three major European countries is shown in Fig. 1. In reality,
the population penetration of DAB in different European
countries has reached a significant proportion of the total population
in less than four years. Table 1 (on the next page)
shows the projected coverage of DAB in certain European
countries, by the end of 1999.
A new business model
Radio in Europe has traditionally been a conglomeration of individual companies, under different
ownership, meeting local needs. This pluralism, allied to the principle of “free-to-air”
services, has driven the growth of Radio in the past decade, particularly at the regional and
local levels.
In terrestrial broadcasting, the vertical structure of the industry that has served Radio well for
decades is now being replaced by a horizontal value chain. A vertical structure, however, still
applies to the satellite and cable operators. In the horizontal value chain, several players must
work together harmoniously in order to put digital radio on the map. These players are as follows
(see Fig. 2):