Initiative to achieve interoperable digital radio services across Europe

EICTA, the European digital technology industry Association, in cooperation with the European Broadcasting Union and WorldDMB, has launched a major initiative aimed at achieving harmonised and interoperable digital radio services across Europe.

The three organisations are jointly developing a common specification detailing the minimum requirements for future digital radio receivers based on the DAB / DAB+ / DMB family.

Three receiver profiles are being considered namely:

1. The Standard Radio Receiver which is expected to drive the price-sensitive mass-market radio devices and will decode all types of digital audio used in the Eureka 147 standard across all countries.
2. The Rich Media Radio Receiver addressing radios with display screens to receive multimedia broadcasts, ranging from still pictures to interactive graphics and text
3. The Multimedia Receiver which will decode all audio services together with multimedia broadcasts and mobile video.

Features and functions appropriate to in-car systems, including automatic retuning and advanced travel and traffic services providing real time information to satellite navigation systems are also addressed in the receiver profiles. These profiles will enable European consumers driving between countries to receive all Eureka 147 digital radio broadcasts on their car radios.

Mark MacGann, EICTA Director General said “The initiative effectively creates a single digital radio market for Europe. Manufacturers, broadcasters and more importantly consumers will benefit from this industry led initiative. It is a clear statement that the European digital industry is looking to the future and encouraging the take up of digital radio across Europe.”

Source: Media Network, EICTA