The Australian digital radio trial will be extended to include a new Electronic Program Guide, however the software to implement the feature will be outsourced to a UK firm.

London based Unique Interactive develops tools for program providers like the BBC, Virgin Radio and Classic Gold Digital, giving them the ability to add information about current and future shows through a simple web interface.

CEO of Commercial Radio Australia Joan Warner says: “The addition of EPG data means that listeners will be able to see detailed program information about their radio stations up to a week in advance on EPG enabled DAB digital radios.

“We believe features such as electronic program guides and the ability to download music directly from digital radios will add a lot of consumer excitement to the launch of digital radio in 2009.”

In other digital news, the industry is set to begin a new technical trial using MPEG4 Advanced Audio Codec plus (AAC+) as its audio coding scheme.

Until now, the Australian trial has implemented MPEG1 layer II (MP2) coding, a hopelessly outdated algorithm that limits the number of services receivable in a market, or the sonic quality of a larger number of services.

The new coding method will give far better audio fidelity at a reasonable bitrate but renders every existing digital radio obsolete.

Compatibility isn’t an issue in Australia, as any receiver purchased during the digital radio trial has come with a warning that MP2 may not be the official coding standard, however it will be a major problem for the medium in the UK.

Britain wants a simultaneous trial of AAC+ with Australia following complaints from listeners that analogue FM stations are sounding better than their supposedly ‘perfect’ digital counterparts.

Some Internet streaming services and Digital Radio Mondiale currently use AAC+, although receivers are not expected to be available in commercial quantities until 2008.