While most Australians seem generally pleased with their country’s recent rollout of DAB+ services, some analog FM radio owners in the city of Geelong feel that coverage afforded by a new DAB+ multiplex in nearby Melbourne may be just a bit too good. According to a recent story in the Geelong Advertiser, FM station owners in that city have asked their government to locally jam digital multiplex signals coming from Melbourne, situated approximately 25 miles distant across a large ocean bay.

Station owners complain that although local DAB+ multiplexes are in the works, implementation is at least two years off, allowing stations carried on Melbourne’s multiplex to dominate the digital dial in the interim.

The Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is said to be considering Geelong’s request for deployment of jamming hardware, officially referred to as a “coverage management system.”

[Reply]

Hello all.
I am not impressed. AM and FM do not work very well in our area, we get a hugh amount of cross over between distant stations on, or almost on, common frequencies. Digital probably will probably be not much better.
As for Melb vrs Geelong?? What Geelong listenener will buy advertised products from Melb?? After all, it is not about the radio, it is about advertising, about time everyone realised that simple fact. A good listening audience of large numbers will enable the radio station to demand a higher fee for the advertising in that time slot and take the advertising dollar away from their rivals, Geelong loosing adertising dollars to Melb is what it is all about.
Another good question to throw in – how will digital work in car radio applications?? Quite frankly, anywhere out of the big city, FM is useless, will digital be an equal failure??
You probably guessed it – I live out of the city, about 500k out.
Regards to all
Bill

[Reply]

Thanks very much for this wonderful blog;this is the kind of thing that keeps me checking day.

[Reply]

Big Thanks for the article. Added to bookmarks permanently .Amazing looking website really!

[Reply]

Big Thanks for the article. Added to bookmarks permanently .Amazing looking website really!

[Reply]