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New French laws to force radio listeners digital
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 19 March 2009
The French government is hoping to accelerate the move to digital radio in the country by introducing a law that says that, by 2013, all new radio receivers sold must be able to pick up digital radio broadcasts.
In fact, under the proposed new laws, any radio receiver that can display multi-media content would have to receive digital signals by as soon as September 2010. All stand alone radio devices would have be digital by 2012, and all car stereo systems too by 2013.
Quentin Howard, President of the WorldDMB Forum, a body that promotes the fostering of digital radio systems in preference to analogue networks, supports the French proposals, telling reporters: “The bold position taken by the French government recognises the need to ensure universal availability of digital receivers and gives the radio industry a solid foundation and certainty with which to plan its digital future”.
As previously reported, the UK’s main digital radio system – digital audio broadcasting – has suffered some set backs of late, despite digital radio sets enjoying relatively healthy sales. The move to digital has not been fast enough for many commercial radio companies, who can’t afford to run digital-only stations that cannot command substantial listening figures, and who dislike the added costs of having to make their existing stations available via both the analogue and digital systems.
Some in the commercial radio sector reckon internet radio will become dominant before DAB has a chance to really get off the ground, and that the digital system is therefore no long worth investing in.
Though if the UK were to introduce laws like these French ones they might think otherwise.
