Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 9, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The Directors’ Conference of the State Media Authorities has issued a recommendation that the transition from FM to DAB should not be completed before 2015. It said a clear content benefit must be achieved to ensure sufficient acceptance among radio listeners for the necessary replacement of devices. Nevertheless, the Association of State Media Authorities recognises the advantages of digital radio. Besides noise-free listening, it also sees an opportunity to promote media diversity. Despite the recommendation to postpone the planned 2015 shutdown of the FM network, the shutdown of the analogue network remains planned.
Aside from the new devices required to receive digital data, it would mainly be broadcasters that would face disadvantages from the DAB standard. Switching to digital transmission technology entails high costs, while competition in the market is growing. One important factor in digital radio is that up to 20 stations can be transmitted on just one frequency band. The necessary cooperation between stations, however, currently appears impossible.
The transition period during which FM and DAB are to operate simultaneously (simulcast) is estimated at around 20 years. Otherwise, the changeover could not be managed. Alongside the national transition, regional and local planning certainty must also be established, which is much more significant for digital radio than for digital television. The development of digital radio differs internationally. While it sells well in the United Kingdom and is increasingly displacing analogue radio, all DAB-introduction projects in Scandinavia have been halted because of insufficient interest. Germany has a relatively high coverage rate of 80 percent, but can point to only a few hundred thousand users.
