Is Digital Audio Broadcasting viable for South Africa?

Presented by Thabani Mkhize and Andy LeveRadio goes Online course

2012

Is Digital Audio Broadcasting viable for South Africa?

Discussion pointsIntroduction

explanation of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)

Positives

Negatives

South African context

IntroductionBroadcast and telecommunications networks like

radio, are being digitised worldwide

Quality service, greater choice, interactivity and multimedia are important now.

DAB is one of the ways radio is achieving this

How does DAB work?audio is encoded to a digital signal.

This goes to a multiplexer and is transmitted to a network distributor on AM/FM and then to the receiver.

Multimedia

Carries “radio text”

Positives real time information, song titles, genre, album details,

programme guides etc (similar to RDS found in some cars)

Better functionality- no frequency finding

More stations on spectrum

Pause and rewind feature

Less pirate stations

Clear sound

Negatives If the signal is weak you get no transmission at

all.Expensive to maintain ( equipment, transmission

sites )Questionable audio quality because we are

“squashing “more stations “on spectrumsHigh humidity could damage the internal parts

thereof not working at all

Digital Radio in South Africain the “thought stage” so the viability is still in

question...

Radio is the most popular medium- if we go digital what will it mean for the common man ?

expensive for consumers -will people afford the headsets ?

Rise in transmission costs of stations?

South African situation

No clear direction

More focus on TV

Trial runs from 1997 -2010 on 5FM, Highveld, Metro FM, Radio Pulpit,YFM,702, and Classic FM only.

South African situation SADIBA says: Radio in SA requires Expansion into new markets

No FM frequencies in key metro areas

Universal access to all language services in all centres

New broadcasters

Niche services

Lower / new cost structures

FOR THEM DAB CAN DO THIS

Government released a digital migration document and noted the developmental issues we face :

Digital divide social cohesionEmploymentCommon identity

SO HOW WILL DIGITAL AID THIS?

For government: DAB = Curbing the divide:

more platforms to provide information

Facilitating e-government services

ICT services for all

Digital content hubs

Jane Duncan ( 2010) wrote with TV : digital migration can lead to more channels with

fewer owners.

They could only broadcast commercially-driven programming that fails to address even the most basic informational and educative needs of society.

Is that what could happen with radio ?

What must be done to give it a shot?• commercial broadcasters, broadcast network

operators and industry collaborate

quality assessment trials countrywide

Transmitter network rollout – how and cost

Clear regulations and licensing

Inform the public

Duncan, Jane. 2012 A Political Economy of South Africa's Digital Broadcasting Transition The future of Terrestrial broadcasting : Technical report 013http://www.southafrica.info/about/media/digitaldzonga-250810.htm#ixzz22N6uBt89

SADIBA “Digital radio in SA presentation : December 2011. retrieved from www.sadiba.org Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy document :electronic communications act 2005).

References