Launch of Digital Radio in Federation Square.

The launch of digital radio this morning was a very successful function. I enjoyed talking to those such as Graham Redmond that I had bought my PURE radio from. I also had a long conversation to the Sangean rep.
All Melbourne stations were represented except Gold amd Mix.
AW were the only station broadcasting from behind glass. All other stations were in open stalls.
The most popular station was ABC's 774!

More to follow.

From DigitalradioPlus website.

Radio unites in massive outside broadcast

In a world first, Australian commercial radio broadcasters and the public service broadcasters are putting competition aside on 6th August 2009 when more than 40 different radio stations hold a simultaneous outside broadcast in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide to promote digital radio.

The event billed as “Radio United” will see the highly competitive commercial sector broadcasting side by side with their commercial counterparts and public service broadcasters to promote the benefits of digital radio.

Joan Warner, chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia said the radio industry was coming together with one voice, at one time, on one day to highlight the new digital radio technology.

“Breakfast radio is a very powerful medium with Neilsen research figures for survey four 2009 showing the average cumulative breakfast radio audience Monday to Friday in the five state capitals for all stations is 8,761,000 people. Radio is a big part of Australians way of life and we want to tell them about our new digital technology,” said Ms Warner.

“As an industry we will be speaking to this audience about digital radio in a unique event. We are inviting listeners to come to the outside broadcast in each city, meet many of the top radio personalities and listen to digital radio,” said Ms Warner.

The outside broadcasts in each city will be held from 5.30 am – 9.00 am in central city locations; Sydney - Martin Place, Melbourne - Federation Square, Brisbane - Reddacliff Place, Adelaide – Victoria Square and Perth – Forrest Place.

Each city location will have a digital radio “Listener Post” where digital radio manufacturers: Roberts, Sangean, Yamaha, iRiver, Bush, Revo, Grundig and Pure will showcase a range of digital radios and enable listeners to hear and see digital radio on a variety of different receivers.

A fully fitted out car featuring a digital radio adaptor will also be on site in each state. Plus there will be a preview of the first screen based digital radio showcasing the visual aspects of the new technology with the transmission on screen of album covers, radio presenter photos and station logos.

Hundreds of digital radios will be given away to lucky listeners on the morning but they must attend the outside broadcasts and enter on site to win.

A countdown clock to the start of the Radio United event begins today at the www.digitalradioplus.com.au website and all participating stations start the countdown on their websites soon.

Radio United Event - Participating Stations

SYDNEY – MARTIN PLACE

Super Radio 2SM 1269AM Breakfast - Grant Goldman
Austereo Triple M 104.9
Austereo 2DayFM The Kyle and Jackie O Show - Kyle Sandilands & Jackie O
DMG vega 95.3fm Tony, Bec & Mikey - Mikey Robins, Tony Squires & Rebecca Wilson
Macquarie 2GB 873 Breakfast with Alan Jones - Jason Morrison broadcasting on-site & crossing to Alan Jones in-studio
Macquarie 2CH Easy 1170 Breakfast with Gareth McCray
Tabcorp Sky Sports Radio Big Sports Breakfast with Terry Kennedy & Michael Slater
Fairfax 2UE Breakfast with Mike & Sandy - Mike Carlton & Sandy Aloisi
DMG Nova 96.9fm Merrick & Rosso & Kate Ritchie - Merrick Watts, Tim Ross, Kate Ritchie
SBS Radio Foreign Language Programming
ABC ABC702 702 Breakfast with Adam Spencer
ARN The EDGE Digital Mike E & Carmela - Carmela Contarino & Michael Etheridge

MELBOURNE – FEDERATION SQUARE

Pacific Star 3MP The Easy Breakfast - John Burgess
Fairfax Magic 1278 Magic 1278 Breakfast - Ann Gilding & Kevin John
Austereo Fox 101.9 The Matt & Jo Show - Matt Tilley & Jo Stanley
Sport Entertainment 1116 SEN Morning Glory - Tim Watson, Bill Brownless & Andy Maher
Fairfax 3AW Breakfast with Ross Stevenson and John Burns
DMG Nova 100 Hughesy and Kate - Dave Hughes & Ed Kavalee
DMG Vega 91.5fm Dicko, Dave & Chrissie - Ian Dickson, Dave O'Neil, Chrissie Swan
Austereo Triple M 105.1
SBS Radio Foreign Language Programming
ARN The EDGE Digital Breakfast Broadcast
ABC ABC 774 Breakfast with Red Symons
Tabcorp Sport 927am Prime Time Sports Interactive with Michael Christian and Angela Pippos

BRISBANE – REDDACLIFF PLACE

Fairfax 4BC Breakfast with Jamie Dunn Jamie Dunn
ARN 4KQ 693 Laurel, Gary & Mark In The Morning - Laurel Edwards, Gary Clare & Mark Hine
Austereo Triple M 104.5 The Cage - Ian Skippen, Emily-Jade, Greg "Marto" Martin, Greg "Sully" Sullivan
Austereo B105 Labby, Camilla & Stav - Jason "Labrat" Hawkins, Camilla Severi & Stewart "Stav" Davidson
DMG Nova 106.9fm Breakfast with Meshel, Ash & Tim - Meshel Laurie, Ash Bradnam, Tim Blackwell
Fairfax 4BH 882 Moyd and Loretta - Moyd Kay & Loretta Ryan
ABC ABC 612 Spencer Howson's All-day Breakfast - Spencer Howson
UNiTAB RadioTAB Sportsbet Breakfast Program - John McCoy, Graham Rigby & Ray ”Razor” Phillips

ADELAIDE – VICTORIA SQUARE
DMG FIVEaa Breakfast on FIVEaa - Keith Conlon, Tony Pilkington, Jon Blake, Jane Doyle & Chris McDermott
Austereo SAFM Rabbit, Amber & Cosi - Rabbit, Amber Petty & Cosi
ARN Cruise 1323am Cruise Breakfast with John Dean John Dean
ABC 891 ABC Adelaide Breakfast with the Bald Brothers - Tony McCarthy & John Kenneally
Austereo Triple M 104.7 Kym, Ali & Dzelde
DMG Nova 919 Fitzy, Claire & Jules - Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald, Claire Murphy & Julian “Jules” Schiller

PERTH – FORREST PLACE

Austereo Mix 94.5 The Bunch with Fred, Lisa, Joss & Capt. - Paul Fred Botica, Lisa Shaw, Joss Dwyer, Paul Shepherd
Austereo 92.9 Em and Sam Mac now with Basil Zempilas - Emelia Rusciano, Sam McMillan & Basil Zempilas
DMG Nova 937 Nathan & Nat with Shaun McManus - Nathan Morris, Natalie Locke, Shaun McManus
Fairfax 6PR Breakfast with Millsy & Tony Mac - Tony McManus & Steve Mills
Fairfax 96fm The Crew with Gary, Fitzy & Aleysha - Gary Shannon, Brad "Fitzy" Fitzgerald &
Aleysha Knowles
Capital 6iX Johnny Young's Big Breakfast
ABC ABC 720 Breakfast with Eoin Cameron Eoin Cameron

Review of PURE Evoke - 2S on ABC Shop online.

Have a look at my review for the PURE Evoke 2s on the ABC online shop page.

http://www2b.abc.net.au/tmb/Client/ReviewMessage.aspx?b=65&tn=886008&pd=2&am=2572#m2572

ABC coverage of Melbourne.

Have a look at the coverage for Melbourne (from the link below) which is listed as interim coverage. Seems the ABC will not be broadcasting from their main transmission tower until, at the earliest, November. This seems to be very late notice! Maybe it was known previously but I am unaware of it. I trust the ABC to be more honest and open than the commercials. Ah well, silly me

They have been on/off (mostly off) today. It looks like their 5 music stations are all @ 80kbps. 774@ 64Kbps Radio National@ 72 News Radio@ 56 and they still have Extra@48 playing Waltzing Matilda Nothing has changed with SBS STILL only on 32kbps! Have had no reply from my email to them but will follow it up in the next few days.

http://www.abc.net.au/radio/digital/img/Me...rne_DAB+sml.jpg

ABC, SBS Update.

Looks like ABC and SBS are gone again!

ABC and SBS

This morning the ABC is on the air! Can't say the same for SBS! I would think that these are only test broadcasts as the volume on some stations is going up and down. SBS is almost non-existant with the same number of stations as Adelaide and Brisbane all on 32kbps. Surely they won't keep all these stations! if so, why? I am listening to 774 which is the only station that seems to be ALMOST normal. It is good to hear ABC news on my dab radio
As I am writing most of the stations seem to have gone of air. They all have ? before their station names. I am still listening to 774. We can all relax, hopefully by next Wednesday at least the ABC will be up to speed. Wonder what SBS is up to?

UPDATE ABC stations have increased power a little during the day but SBS is still pretty bad! I see the website now says ABC & SBS to commence services on or around 1st July on low power. ABC sounds fine even on low power but surely SBS can do better!
Melbourne is now showing 39 stations. One, ABC Extra, is continously playing Waltzing Matilda and ABC Grandstand is duplicating Dig.

Article in todays Australian

This is an interesting article from todays Australian.

First national signal of new-wave radio hits cities