Details of all these stories are available on the DRDB website at www.drdb.org or the consumer site at www.digitalradionow.com
International News
International support for DAB
For more information on these stories go to http://www.worlddab.org/images/NewlegislationApr05.pdf
German car industry support for DAB
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) convened a high level meeting in April at which leading car manufacturers, software and electrical appliance industries, broadcasters, politicians and government agreed a strategy to promote DAB Digital Radio in Germany.
The major attraction of DAB for VDA members is its ability to deliver far more information to drivers than the current RDS/TMC system. DAB allows a leap to customized and individually tailor-made information. The VDA, whose members include companies such as BMW, Ford, Daimler Chrysler and Volkswagen, will soon begin field tests of such data services via in-car DAB receivers.
For more information go to http://www.worlddab.org/images/VDA_15-april-05_EN.pdf
France launches digital radio public consultation
The CSA, the French regulatory authority for radio, has launched a public consultation into digital radio broadcasting in France.
The consultation is aimed at identifying "the projects and timescales" for those in the market before launching a call to tender later in the year. Responses to the public consultation must be received by June 30, 2005.
The CSA agrees that the establishment of digital radio should increase the number of stations available to consumers, and provide "a greater diversity of content with the arrival of rich new formats and associated data, and an improvement in sound."
The President of the CSA, Dominique Baudis, has said "2005 will be the year of digital radio."
For more details on this story go to http://www.worlddab.org/images/CSA-pressrelease-25-april-05_Eng.pdf
Product News
New in-car from JVC
The KD-DB711 in-car radio from JVC is a CD receiver with built-in DAB and supports MP3 and WMA files. It is available at around £250 including aerial, VAT and fitting.
Sony CMTGPX9DAB
The first DAB micro hi-fi system from Sony also delivers AM and FM reception, CD and MP3 playback and 35 Watts RMS per channel. Priced around £199.
Bush LSD34DAB
A DAB/FM micro system from Bush with CD playback, two x 3 watts RMS, 10 FM and 20 DAB presets. Priced around £99.
Hitachi AMX130
Another micro hi-fi system exclusive to Dixons and Currys. The Hitachi AMX130 receives both DAB and FM, plays CD and MP3 and delivers two x 50 watts RMS. Priced around £199.
GWR Group opts for Vauxhall fleet
VAUXHALL has clinched a major new deal with UK commercial radio group GWR, following the car manufacturer’s decision to offer factory-fit DAB digital radios as standard on certain models.
GWR operates 36 local radio stations and three national stations including flagship Classic FM, as well as 15 local digital multiplexes. It also holds the majority shareholding in Digital One, the company that holds the licence to operate the national digital radio network.
The new contract, with a showroom value of more than £4 million, is for 240 Astra 100PS 1.7CDTi SXi five door hatchbacks. They will be used by GWR’s sales force, technical support staff and field reporters and will enable staff to tune in to DAB digital radio on the move.
Frontier Silicon boosts car market
Frontier Silicon - the fabless manufacturer of semiconductors for mobile digital television and DAB digital radio products – has announced that three first tier automotive manufacturers have selected its Roadster automotive DAB module for integration into car audio and telematics systems, and at the same time the company – in conjunction with a number of its customers – has successfully completed road trials in Central Europe using the module. The first European car using Frontier Silicon’s Roadster module is scheduled to roll off the production line at the end of 2005.
New DAB ready made modules from Sonarics
Sonarics Labs, makers of complete DAB solutions on a single, general-purpose low cost DSP, announces its partnership with Omni-Comm Hong Kong for providing its customers with a one-stop solution for a variety of ready-made modules. This move is a direct response to the booming demand for ready-made modules from South-East Asia manufacturers, caused in turn by the successful worldwide DAB acceptance.
Heart FM and Blaupunkt DAB at NEC
Visitors to Birmingham’s NEC are greeted by the country’s largest DAB digital radio, fixed above the main approach road with the launch of the 100.7 Heart fm Music Board.
The 100.7 Heart fm Music Board is a 96-sheet, 3D fixed exact replica of a Blaupunkt Woodstock in-car DAB digital radio, measuring more than 7.5m wide and almost 2m in height.
It will remain in situ above the main route to the exhibition centre and arena for two years in a deal agreed with the NEC. As visitors approach the route, they will be able to view 100.7 Heart fm’s current programme output via a LED which will display live artist and track information to coincide with the current radio broadcast, and marketing messages during ad breaks.
SellPURE2Win Incentive Program
PURE Digital presents TEAM PURE DIGITAL competing in the National Gravel Rally Championship, with up and coming driver Paul Alexander at the wheel of an open-class, ex-works Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII.
As well as bringing the PURE brand to a new audience and helping promote the company’s world leading DAB digital radios, the partnership offers one of the UK’s top drivers much-valued support. Paul is one of only five drivers with a Sky TV coverage deal, including an in-car camera, and as well as the high profile television coverage the rally car will make numerous show and print appearances.
The sponsorship will also enable PURE’s retail partners to get in on the action with lucky participants in PURE’s new SellPURE2win retail incentive promotion getting to ride in the TEAM PURE DIGITAL rally car – see www.sellPURE2win.co.uk for further details.
DRDB Postcode checker
Please note, the DRDB has upgraded its postcode checker at www.digitalradionow.com. You may find results are slightly different to previously and this is a reflection of increased accuracy in the new checker.
If you take the DRDB postcode checker on your own website and experience any difficulties, please contact Lisette Cooper at lisette@drdb.org
ENDS
May 29, 2005
The Digital Radio Development Bureau is funded and supported by BBC, Digital One, Emap Digital Radio, CE Digital, MXR (Chrysalis, GMG, Capital and UBC), Capital Digital and GWR’s Now-Digital. The DRDB’s task is to ensure digital radio’s wide accessibility and swift adoption in the UK with consistent and effective marketing.
Visit the DRDB's consumer web site www.digitalradionow.com, or our Business to Business site, www.drdb.org.
If you have any news you would like included in the next DRDB news bulletin, please email mandy@drdb.org
If you do not wish to receive future copies of this news bulletin please email mandy@drdb.org
Mandy Green
Press and Publicity Manager
DRDB
The Radiocentre
77 Shaftesbury Avenue
London W1D 5DU
020 7306 2636
07973 184995