World Audio not right about digital satellite claims: Rebel FM’s Aaron Jowitt

Rebel FM’s Aaron Jowitt has taken issue with the World Audio claim to being the first broadcaster to use a satellite based distribution platform for commercial free-to-air digital radio broadcasting. “That’s not right,” says Jowitt.

He reminds radioinfo that Worldaudio itself currently broadcasts on the Foxtel/Austar digital platform, and that there are a number of Australian broadcasters including Rebel FM, Breeze FM, Freshstream FM, Spirit and Red FM which have been “providing free to air commercial radio digital satellite broadcasts for some time.”

“There are delivery platform differences, which in this case will allow WorldAudio to have small dishes in far North/Western Australia areas such as Darwin but that’s offset by the need for fairly large dishes in South East Australia – where the majority of Australia’s population is.

“It can’t really be fairly compared to digital terrestrial radio (DAB) or even Sirius/XM. They are a world apart. To pick up WorldSpace indoors you’ll usually need an external antenna/dish. DAB though is primarily designed for excellent mobile and indoor reception (without the need for an external antenna).

“Sirius/XM is also designed for good mobile reception which is enhanced in the US by a network of local terrestrial digital boosters.

I personally can’t see the Australian government licensing terrestrial WordSpace boosters for WorldAudio, a company which does not even own one Broadcast Services Band commercial licence in Australia. Therefore, it’s highly unlikely the latest trial will be of much concern to the Australian commercial radio industry.

“The amount of satellite broadcast power it would take to provide high grade (small receive antenna) coverage over a country the size of Australia, coupled with our relatively small population base means it could be a long time before it’s viable to provide XM/Sirius style services here. Interestingly enough, the advanced core coding technology used by XM was adopted this year by Rebel & Breeze to upgrade its satellite distribution platform, which we believe is unique here at the moment.

“If WorldAudio hope to find viability in distributing Radio Two via the WorldSpace Asia beam to a small population base across the North Western corner of Australia, good luck to them and their investors,” says Jowitt.