2009 E N U J • ISSUE 9 REACHING OUT TO THE WO R LD D M B C O mm UNITY Digital Radio Motors Ahead This time last year I chaired the first service the volume of mobile radio contemplating digital radio launch meeting of the WorldDMB Receiver listeners), and therefore standard strategies, I would urge you to look Profiles Task Force, which was a joint fit DAB, DAB+ and DMB is of major closely at the Australian example. collaboration between WorldDMB, EBU importance. A successful WorldDMB Norway’s public and private TV and and EICTA (now DIGITALEUROPE). workshop held recently with the car radio broadcasters joined forces to At IBC 2008 the first Receiver Profiles industry attracted over one hundred deliver an array of free-to air DMB document, which defined features to delegates and created a new level mobile TV and radio services using the be included in three different classes of dialogue across the industry. The existing DAB network infrastructure. of radio, was published. To say that French announcement to mandate This approach is new in Europe and these Profiles have been well received digital radios in all cars from 2013 completely avoids the typical mobile is probably an understatement; focused much of our thoughts and TV business model that has proved they have been widely accepted by efforts, and the desire to see digital unsuccessful elsewhere, removing the manufacturers and broadcasters but radios in all European cars has never need for costly UHF networks, depen- particularly welcomed by regulators, been stronger. The opportunity for dency on real time subscription and making the job of selecting standards TPEG services to deliver continent mobile telecom operators. As Korea easier by removing uncertainty so that -wide travel information is intriguing has already shown, DMB mobile TV licensing decisions can be made. Many many but requires co-ordination by together with DAB on Band III is a late 2009 models of digital radios will organisations such as the EBU to compelling and simple proposition. be compliant with the Receiver Profiles, ensure national and regional multi- Could this be the new way forward for able to receive DAB, DAB+ and DMB plexes all carry TPEG data. World- mobile TV in Europe? Radio with associated services. It is DMB’s Receiver Profiles contain defini- all good news for consumers who tions for domestic digital radios as This summer promises to be as busy can be confident their new digital well as in-car receivers where different as ever for the WorldDMB team as we radio receiver will work in almost any conditions apply. Dialogue with the welcome new Project Office Director, country broadcasting the Eureka147 car industry will enable these profiles Letty Zambrano to the London office, family of standards. A new consumer to be finalised to give the same level and bid a farewell and all our thanks logo being developed by DIGITAL- of clarity to the in-car entertainment to Kelly Griffiths who leaves us after EUROPE aims to help consumers sector. 3 years to return to her home in the identify compliant receivers. United States. Australia has been busy switching One key area for us remains the car on its DAB+ services with a highly If you would like further details of industry, not least because in-car co-ordinated campaign involving WorldDMB membership, including radio listening accounts for between commercial and public service broad- our special academic and small 20% and 50% of all listening hours casters, manufacturers and all the businesses membership schemes, depending on country. Terrestrial major Australian retailers. A key point please contact Rosemary Smith at broadcast remains the only viable has been the effective digital campaign, the project office: method of delivering radio services which includes educating both the [email protected] into vehicles for the foreseeable listener and the retailer, and trans- Quentin Howard future (internet and mobile telecoms mitters designed to deliver effective President, WorldDMB Forum networks simply cannot scale up to indoor coverage. For other countries Latest in the Car Industry receiver Looks to DAB, market, + Sweden SWEDEN see page 4 Countries with DAB and DAB ICELAND see pages tests the NORWAY UNITED 9-11 watersKINGDO Min DAB+, see DENMARK page 4 NETHER- REP. OF LANDS IRELAND BELGIUM GERMANY LUX. CZECH REP . FRANCE SWITZ. HUNGARY ALASKA I T SWEDENA (US) ICELAND L R USSIAN FEDERATION NORWAY UNITED Y KINGDOM CANADA DENMARK NETHER- PORTUGAL REP. OF LANDS SPAI N IRELAND BELGIUM GERMANY LUX. CZECH REP . GREECE FRANC E SWITZ. HUNGARY I T A L Y UNITED STATE S PORTUGAL SPAIN MALTA OF GREECE CALIFORNI A MALTA CHINA S. KOREA AMERIC A KUWAIT M E CHINESE X INDIA HONG TAIPEI I C KONG O MALAYSIA SINGAPORE PERU AUSTRALI A SOUTH AFRICA NEW ZEALAND DAB Commercial Launch and DAB Commercial Launch DAB Trial /Test DAB+ Trial /Test DAB+ Trial /Test 2 The road to DMB and MiniTV in Norway Those who travel between the two The digitalization of radio in Norway Norwegian cities Oslo and Bergen can’t began all the way back in 1995 with help but notice all the mountains and our first DAB station. We soon realized the few number of houses. If you are a the strength of the technology, but it tourist that is fine, but when it comes took a long time before we saw any to building networks and distributing real progress in the whole value chain. content, this creates challenges. Now several other countries are The Norwegian Broadcasting Corpo- adopting DMB and it is now also being ration (NRK) creates TV, radio, web used in ‘different flavors’, such as multiplexes in this trial service. There and services for mobile devices. digital radio with visual elements and are plans, however from TV 2 and NRK is the largest broadcaster in interactivity, as used in France. MTG do introduce pay TV services at Norway, funded by a license fee, and NRK had a DMB trial in 2005 and since some point. is expected to distribute content and then we have seen numerous MobileTV NMTV recently also partnered with services to 100% of the population. projects around the world, although in the third largest telecom operator in That means that costs on distribution our point of view none of them have Norway, Network Norway. This makes it are very high. been as successful as anticipated easier to combine DMB with additional In Norway there is also a strong political (except for the DMB service in Korea). services, providing interactivity and consensus that everyone should have One common feature was that they all various other applications which users access to the same public services. The started as telecom services, and always will enjoy and use. TV license fee, which also funds public linked to a Simcard. ‘Mobile phone TV’ I believe that our model of MobileTV is radio, has two important features; does in other words not work. a good example for others to follow. one that the content is free to air and A little more than a year ago NRK and Allowing the broadcasters, who own, secondly that the entire population can Modern Times Group (MTG), took the understand and make their own receive the services. initiative to build up a different model of content, to take control of these new Some years back Norway decided to MobileTV. TV 2 soon showed interest services will bring new opportunities switch from analogue to digital TV. This and on 13 August 2008 NRK and and possibly additional revenue. The initiative was given to a joint venture the two largest commercial broad- important thing to remember is that company called NTV (Norwegian casters formed a company, called content is key. TV), which is owned by NRK, TV 2 The Norwegian Mobile TV Corpo- It is in the interest of broadcasters that and Telenor. The latter is a telecom ration (NMTV), to offer TV to all mobile the telecom industry can also benefit operator, while the other two are devices. The NMTV is owned equally by working together with them to broadcasters. The infrastructure was by NRK, TV 2 and MTG. create additional services that will add built after agreeing that NTV cover the Formally this is a trial period since the value to the MobileTV service. And costs. It was decided that it would be licences from the government have since we all make content and services acceptable if most of the Norwegian been granted until July 2011. If this in the Eureka 147 family of standards, population received services with roof MobileTV project is successful, the aim new innovative and enhanced services top antennas. The process was run is to continue and possibly expand the will also migrate into future multimedia over a two year period and now the DMB services. radios, helping all of us make truly entire country has digital terrestrial TV NMTV launched DMB services, called multimedia services. with MPEG 4 and HD-ready set top MiniTV, on 15 May 2009 in Oslo with an boxes. Analogue TV was consequently offer of 6 free to air MiniTV channels. By Jorn Jensen, switched off. There are four transmitters and two Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation Amazing Radio launches in the UK The UK’s commercial multiplex a demo voice track. Both unsigned of innovative services, it is hoped that operator, Digital One, will launch a artists and voices will upload their young artists and listeners will continue new service featuring the best of the tracks to http://amazingradio.co.uk. to engage in the future of radio. unsigned bands in the British music Amazing Radio will be an interactive scene.