About Digital Radio

Australian commercial digital radio services were officially switched-on progressively throughout May, 2009 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. 

Listeners in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane should all be able to receive digital radio.  To find out if your suburb is covered, click here.

No. Listeners simply have to buy a receiver to listen to digital radio with products priced from $150 and above. There are no other costs - just tune in. 

Digital radio will provide some new stations. Digital radio also means you can listen to your existing favourite radio stations but with digital sound quality. There are many advantages to digital radio – it can provide better reception, more information on discussion topics, news items, sports and racing via text, graphics, pictures and animation.  Features like pause and rewind will be available on some digital receivers and you can tune in by station name, not frequency, making it easy to find your favourite stations.

Major retailers stock a range of digital radios; these include Harvey Norman, Dick Smith, The Good Guys, Myer, David Jones, Clive Peeters, Big W, Target, Retravision and specialist retailers.

Digital radio prices will vary depending on the features and capabilities. Entry-level receivers (with scrolling text) start from around $150 and receivers with all capabilities start at around $299. 

Pure, Roberts, Sangean, Bush, Revo, Grundig, Teac, Yamaha and iRiver are just some of the manufacturers making DAB+ digital radios. Other manufacturers will be introducing more products throughout 2009/10. 

There are no plans at this stage to switch off AM and FM radio services. As there is an estimated five radio devices per home, listeners must be given time to change over all of their radio devices before any discussion of switch off of analogue services. In addition, planning needs to commence for the switch on of digital services to the rest of Australia outside of the five launch cities.

Digital radio will provide interference free, digital quality sound and your radio will automatically find the best signal in your area. 

Digital radios will come in a range of different models.  To ensure your radio receives digital radio services in Australia it must be DAB+ enabled.  Some DAB+ radios will also receive FM.  However you’ll be able to hear your favourite AM and FM stations simulcast on DAB+.  Look for the logo on the product pack or in store.

Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has already started planning the digital radio rollout in other areas throughout Australia.  A regional trial of digital radio will commence in late 2009 and CRA is calling on the Federal Government to allocate VHF Band III spectrum in regional areas for the rollout of digital radio services across Australia.

No, digital radio is broadcast free to air over the airwaves via DAB+ technology.  Internet-only radio services are streamed over the telecommunications networks and incur a download cost, which varies depending on the internet service provider package.  Free-to-air broadcast radio stations will also stream their current radio programs plus any new digital services on the internet as well as broadcasting, so the content can be accessed on both platforms.

An advertising campaign promoting the switch on of digital radio services to listeners has commenced on all commercial radio stations and on SBS Radio in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.  The first phase of the $10 million dollar on-air campaign raises listeners’ awareness that radio is going digital.  It also promotes the website: digitalradioplus.com.au  which contains extensive information about digital radio for consumers.  Phase two of the ad campaign outlines the new capabilities and benefits of digital radio and is designed to generate heightened listener interest, and phase three will encourage listeners to actively engage with digital radio and seek out retail outlets for digital radio receivers as the switch on takes place.

Not at the moment, however, manufacturers are currently working on integrating DAB+ into a digital TV set top box. As new DAB+ products become available they will be featured on the digitalradioplus.com.au website.

Although not currently available, there are plans for digital radio to be made available in cars. These options include a specific in-car adaptor, the ability to link your portable DAB+ receiver via Bluetooth in your car or through GPS car navigation systems. 

Only DAB+ radios will receive digital radio in Australia.  When buying a new digital radio look for the DAB+ enabled logo.