Digital killing the radio star

Broadcasts of in CD-quality digital signals began in most capital cities in 2009 and Commercial Radio Australia now estimates 1.2 million people or around 9.4 per cent listen to the 107 digital stations.

However, with car manufacturers slow to introduce the DAB+ technology and few in-car aftermarket products available, only 60,000 or 5 per cent of those listeners tune in to digital radio in their cars. This compares with 34 per cent of all radio broadcasts being heard in cars. 

However, Commercial Radio Australia chief executive officer Joan Warner expects the in-car audience for digital stations to swell as more car manufacturers include the technology and more aftermarket products become available. "Cars are the key to another big spike in DAB+ listening," she says. 

"It takes a couple to add digital as standard and the customers will start asking for it. "We are going to be doing a car-focused event later this year with a local car manufacturer, so we are looking to draw the attention of listeners. 

"Hopefully by drawing attention that it is standard in some cars, it will flow through to others. "Car manufacturers are very aware of the competitive nature of this. That's consumer pressure." 

Vehicles available in Australia with DAB+ radio fitted as standard are Audi A8 V8s, BMW 550i, Lexus GS, Toyota Camry Atara SL, Camry Hybrid and Aurion, and Hino 300, 500 and 700 trucks.

It is also available as an option in the six-cylinder A8s (in combination with Bose stereo and digital TV for $7500) and A6 (with digital TV for $3130) and most BMWs except Z4 and X1 with prices ranging from $385 to $950.

It is believed a cheap small car - probably the Corolla - will add DAB+ as standard later this year. "I'm hoping in the next 12-18 months that at least another two brands will come out with standard fitting of DAB+," Warner says. One of the reasons manufacturers have given for the slow take-up of the technology is that Australia has the latest DAB+ signal which is not used in many other parts of the world. 

However, Warner says countries in Europe and Asia are slowly moving from DAB to DAB+. "It's starting to roll out all over," she says. "We're currently talking to Indonesia about a trial in that country where they have 200 million people, Hong Kong has switched on and Germany has switched over to DAB+." 

She says the UK is staying with DAB because of the number of vehicles with the technology already fitted, while America has a different digital system. Internationally, DAB+ is available in vehicles made by Audi, BMW, Fiat, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Lotus, Mercedes, Mini, Renault, Seat, Toyota, TVR, Vauxhall and Volvo.

Warner says aftermarket products suitable for cars will also drive the digital radio revolution. "There are 10 million cars on the road in Australia and a large proportion won't be changed over for about eight or nine years so aftermarket will be our next focus," she says. 

There are eight professionally installed aftermarket products available in Australia with more coming all the time, she says. The latest is the $499 Pure Highway 300Di that doesn't replace your existing car stereo or require holes to be drilled in the dashboard. It consists of an interface box, controller unit, active glass-mount aerial and USB charging and connector cable for iPod, iPhone or iPad with full control.

There are also cheaper do-it-yourself in-car adaptors that mount on the dashboard and portable DAB+ players from as little as $80 that can be plugged into an existing audio system via an aux-in plug. Lingo has also released an adapter for the ubiquitous iPhone to transmit DAB+. 

Warner says the latest innovation is "push radio" that pushes podcasts to a special player without the need of the internet. CRA is setting up a test with the Chinese inventor later this year. Australia has 107 digital stations in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, of which 47 are existing stations duplicating their FM or AM signal on DAB+. 

Sydney has the most with 11 existing stations and 13 new digital stations, followed by Melbourne with 10 existing and 12 new and Brisbane with eight and 11 new.