In the rush to migrate television from an analogue signal to digital broadcasting, radio has been left behind, despite reaching more than three times the number of people who watch TV.
Migrating radio onto a digital platform would have several benefits, including offering more services to those who cannot afford television, and new channels that could provide educational offerings. It is also vital for the offering to remain commercially attractive.
However, digital radio seems to have been abandoned and the space in which a trial was running, until a year ago, is now being filled by a mobile television offering.
SA is migrating towards digital television, with the aim of moving off analogue broadcasting by the end of 2013. A soft launch will take place next year, while a full commercial service will go live in September.
About 10 million households are expected to benefit from a vastly improved picture quality, and far more channels. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has already indicated it aims to ultimately offer a total of 17 channels, from the current three.
However, as SA migrates its outdated broadcasting network, which has been in operation since 1975, to a digital platform, radio has been forgotten.
Radio reaches more than 30 million South Africans and dates back to 1923, when the SABC's predecessor launched the first service. However, the technology has not innovated since the launch of FM stereo in the 1960s.
Forgotten cousin
Southern African Digital Broadcasting Association (Sadiba) spokesman Gerhard Petrick says digital radio broadcasting has not been publicly debated for the past decade.
Frequency had been assigned by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) in the bands currently used for analogue television, says Petrick. This allowed trials of digital radio using the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) standard.
However, the radio frequency is now being used by mobile players offering video on the Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) standard, says Petrick. The trial, which started in 1997, terminated “overnight” about a year ago, he notes.
Digital radio has become a “forgotten” issue, says Petrick. “Radio has nowhere to go.”
Radio in SA is likely to stay on analogue FM and AM frequencies for several years to come as it seems to have been side-lined, he says.
Petrick explains that moving to digital radio will have several benefits, including making new channels possible, which will open up more educational offerings. It could also aid broadcasters with their public service obligations, he adds. “It needs urgent attention.”
Technology has advanced and the second generation of the digital radio standard is now available, says Petrick. He points out that this standard is cost-effective and will make it possible for several new entrants to come into the market.
However, digital radio can only be rolled out after television has moved off analogue, adds Petrick. Although switching to digital is not vital for radio's survival, it is necessary to grow the sector, he says.
Sadiba has met with the National Broadcasting Association's radio committee to bring this issue to the attention of radio station heads, says Petrick.
Founded in 1997, Sadiba is a voluntary industry forum that aims to promote a coordinated market-driven introduction of digital broadcasting technologies in the Southern African region.
Stakeholders are eager to collaborate and revisit the body's 2001 recommendations on digital radio, possible trials and defining the way forward, says Petrick. Sadiba established a digital radio task group in March to review and update its recommendations.
In its recommendation paper, it says radio must deliver improved quality service, greater choice, interactivity and multimedia to remain commercially attractive. “Digital radio technologies rise to the challenge and deliver the multimedia radio of the future.”
The body points out in a recent statement that digital radio technology has evolved, and there is now a DAB+ standard available, and there have been encouraging developments around DAB+ in Germany and Australia.
Millions of listeners
MobileTV chairman and founder Mothobi Mutloatse says the digital radio frequency is the only channel available to run mobile television.
Mutloatse says the company has been granted space in the same band that digital radio was running in to offer a trial service. He adds, however, that both services could run concurrently in the space.
MobileTV's trial time frame runs out in November, and the company has handed in its two submissions - a technical report and an initial request towards formalising its application for a permanent commercial licence throughout SA.
Offering digital radio on the DAB standard would allow interactive services such as video images, scrolling text and breaking news on screens such as those on mobile devices, says Mutloatse. “Radio reaches a larger audience than television.”
According to the South African Advertising Research Foundation (Saarf), a total of 29 million people listened to commercial radio at the end of June, the latest available figure. Some 30.1 million South Africans tuned into community stations in the same time frame, says Saarf.
MobileTV is keen to offer a platform for radio broadcasters that will not be able to do it themselves, Mutloatse adds. “SA radio requires a huge lift.”
ICASA spokesman Paseka Maleka says MobileTV was only licensed for 12 months to test the technology.
Maleka adds: “Over the years, the authority has played a lead role in the development of broadcasting, including the introduction of community television and digital broadcasting which constitutes one of its primary concerns as the country enters the digital broadcasting environment.”
ICASA believes the advent of digital broadcasting will free more frequencies to accommodate different components of the three-tier broadcasting system: community, public and commercial services, notes Maleka.
The Department of Communications did not respond to requests for information on the future of radio on a digital platform. Sentech says the matter falls outside of its scope.
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