Radio United; Except for Community Radio
This morning, commercial radio stations around the nation gathered to celebrate the launch of Digital Radio. In cities around the nation, joint outside broadcasts were held.
In Sydney, the venue was Martin Place. At 7.40am, they did a roadblock across every station, broadcasting the same audio segment. From the Digital Radio Plus news release:
In a world first, the metropolitan commercial radio industry effectively road blocked Australian metropolitan radio at 7.40 am today, when they simultaneously broadcast a four minute audio piece featuring competing commercial breakfast show presenters in each market describing their most memorable radio moment or a moment they would like to hear in the future, over a re-working of the iconic Australian song, You’re The Voice.
Commercial Radio Australia chief executive officer Joan Warner said the aim of the Radio United outside broadcasts and the playing of the audio piece was to demonstrate the importance of radio in Australian listeners’ lives.
“Competing broadcasters have come together today in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth to celebrate the start of digital radio in Australia. The industry has united for this event and in the audio piece to illustrate the power of radio broadcasting and the effect it has on people,” said Ms Warner.
In case you missed it, the four minute audio segment can be downloaded off the internet. Sydney United Radio OB 20090806
Of course, no one was there from Community Radio. The metro community stations won’t get on DAB+ until next year, and who knows when the sub-metro and regional stations will be able to get access. Here’s some info from a CBAA press release:
The President of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, Deborah Welch says,
‘It is fantastic to see Digital Radio getting off the ground in Australia, and this is only the beginning. You’ll see a raft of new services coming through over the next year, and particularly the innovations that always come from community radio.’
Metropolitan community radio stations are starting later than their commercial and government funded counterparts because infrastructure funding, confirmed in the May 2009 budget, is arriving a year later than first expected.
There are more than 350 community radio stations around the country. While some are getting started on the first stage of Digital Radio, the broader sector keenly await the next phase of the roll out and looks forward to the opportunity to introduce Digital Radio in regional Australia and to sub metropolitan community radio services.
It’ll be fascinating to see what happens with all of this.