Nine delegates from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand are in Australia this week to study Australia’s success with digital radio, as that country begins to move its radio industry towards digital broadcasting. They will hold technical, policy and broadcaster meetings with key DAB+ digital radio stakeholders.
Hosted by Commercial Radio Australia, the Thai radio delegation is led by Colonel Dr. Natee Sukonrat, the Chairman of the National Broadcasting Commission and Vice Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of Thailand. The delegation includes senior representatives from legal, policy, licensing, engineering and technology areas.
Thailand is considering digital radio and will meet with Australian commercial and public service broadcasters, plus industry regulator the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) and the Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE), to discuss the successful switch on of DAB+ digital radio in Australia.
Australia has gained a world-wide reputation as a leader in the successful all of industry public and commercial rollout of DAB+ digital radio. Commercial Radio Australia’s Joan Warner says the industry is “happy to share our experience with other countries considering adopting the DAB+ standard. Our discussions with Colonel Dr. Sukornrat show that he and his team are very advanced in their planning for the digitisation of radio broadcasting in Thailand.”
The delegation will also visit the TXA Australia Artarmon tower site to inspect the DAB+ antenna, transmitters and multiplexes which are jointly owned and operated by the broadcaster consortiums and have been established to minimise the shared costs of DAB+ infrastructure.
DAB+ digital radio technology implemented in Australia is the standard adopted in Switzerland, Malta, Sweden, Hungary, Germany, Italy and Hong Kong. Trials are being conducted or considered in France, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Indonesia and Malaysia. China, Korea and Norway currently use the original DAB standard for radio but are considering using DAB+.
Digital radio celebrates three years on air in the five state metropolitan capitals on 24 August and, as previously reported, more than 50 commercial, ABC and SBS radio stations will broadcast live in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth at central city locations. For more information www.digitalradiotoyota.com.au