DAB+ Digital Radio launches in Hobart

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Digital radio services have now switched on in Hobart, with three new commercial stations now available to locals.

Grant Broadcasters-owned KIX Country, along with SCA stations Easy Hits and Triple M Classic Rock can all now be heard in Hobart.

“We’re pleased listeners in Hobart now have the option to listen on AM, FM and DAB+,” said Commercial Radio Australia CEO Joan Warner.

“They can enjoy the benefits of digital radio, including better sound quality and more station choice, listen to their favourite station and try some of the new stations on offer.”

To tune in, listeners will need a DAB+ radio. 65% of all new cars sold in Australia are now factory fitted with one.

Commercial stations available in Hobart also include Hit100.9, 7HO and Triple M Hobart.

“We’re pleased our Hobart listeners have permanent DAB+ broadcasts and we hope they will enjoy our new DAB+ station KIX Country,” said Grant Broadcasters CEO Alison Cameron.

“DAB+ digital radio continues to grow and we’re excited to introduce SCA’s DAB+ stations to Hobart listeners,” added Grant Blackley.

The number of DAB+ radio in Australia was 4.73 million by the end of 2018, while 30% of the population aged 10 and over, listened to DAB+ digital radio each week in the five metro capital cities .

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Jason
4 Apr 2019 - 12:11 pm

Digital radio does not have better sound quality. You can find better sound quality online for triple m classic rock as a great example of this “better sound quality” lie.

On top of that, there is a whole world of community, religious and other broadcasters who can’t be heard on DAB+ because commercial radio australia controls the space available on it. If you pay them enough, they might just see their way to giving you a tiny slice of spectrum at maximum 32kbps AAC sound quality (which sounds awful). In other countries with DAB+ they have the capacity to host almost 300 stations.

I’m very confident that AM/FM radio will outlast DAB+ as it’s literally only the commercial radio industry who’s forcing it down the throats of the rest of us to little effect – smart speakers and Internet listening have more listeners (and why not, better sound quality, more convenient). It’s only going to be a matter of time before the penny drops and the CRA that DAB+ is a loss making operation and they start shutting down transmitters.

DAB+ radio is inappropriate in emergencies (battery life is too short), DAB+ radio can’t be used at live sporting events (a 30 second delay), DAB+ radio can’t get out more than 30kms from a transmitter, making it useless for road trip listening (use your mobile instead if you have coverage along the route, or use AM radio), DAB+ radio is against competition and choice (no new entrants, unlike the internet), DAB+ radio can’t be used to hear stations in other cities or locations (unlike AM and internet radio)

Don
25 Apr 2019 - 10:01 am

Doesn’t work outside of hobart waste of time

Malcolm
19 May 2019 - 9:32 am

Jason I disagree
The sound quality is a lot better
And you only need to look for the name of the station on the receiver
Plus nearly 3-4 million people across
Australia have a DAB+ receiver
Switch off transmitters ?
I don’t think so

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