Commercial, public radio combine in mass digital radio promo

Peter Dinham
Thursday, 16 July 2009 07:46

IT Industry - Market

Radio stations around Australia are putting aside their usual fierce competitiveness and combining in a world first simultaneous outside broadcast to promote digital radio.

More than 40 radio stations, including commercial and public broadcasters, will hit the air waves at the same time on 6 August - in the event billed as ‘Radio United’ - in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide to promote the introduction of the new digital radio technology.

Joan Warner, chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia, said the radio industry was coming together with one voice, at one time, on one day to highlight the new digital radio technology in what he says is a world-first event.

“As an industry we will be speaking to this audience about digital radio in a unique event.  We are inviting listeners to come to the outside broadcast in each city, meet many of the top radio personalities and listen to digital radio.”

The outside broadcasts in each city will be held from 5.30am – 9.00am in central city locations – in Sydney at Martin Place, Melbourne’s Federation Square, Brisbane’s Reddacliff Place, Adelaide in Victoria Square and in Perth’s Forrest Place.

Warner said each city location would have a digital radio “Listener Post” where digital radio manufacturers: Roberts, Sangean, Yamaha, iRiver, Bush, Revo, Grundig and Pure would showcase a range of digital radios and enable listeners to hear and see digital radio on a variety of different receivers.
 
“Breakfast radio is a very powerful medium with Neilson research figures for survey four 2009 showing the average cumulative breakfast radio audience Monday to Friday in the five state capitals for all stations is 8,761,000 people.  Radio is a big part of Australians way of life and we want to tell them about our new digital technology.”

A fully fitted out car featuring a digital radio adaptor will also be on site in each state, and there will be a preview of the first screen based digital radio showcasing the visual aspects of the new technology with the transmission on screen of album covers, radio presenter photos and station logos.

For consumers wanting to know more about digital radio, a special information service has been set up on a website where you type in your postcode to see if you live in an area where you can receive digital radio or where you will be able to buy a digital radio.