4.12.2023 Media market
DAB+ Radio. What is Digital Radio Broadcasting?
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Digital radio broadcasting technology, compared to traditional analog radio, provides higher sound quality, better resistance to interference, and more additional features during transmission. However, it’s not without drawbacks and raises concerns among broadcasters.
illustration: bing.com/createThe latest generation of Digital Audio Broadcasting technology, known as DAB+, uses digital audio encoding to transmit radio signals. Unlike analog radio, which uses amplitude modulation (AM) or frequency modulation (FM), DAB+ uses digital frequency modulation (DFM). DFM allows for transmitting more data using the same amount of bandwidth, providing higher sound quality and better resistance to interference.
Advantages of DAB+
Higher sound quality. DAB+ offers better sound quality than analog radio. DAB+ can transmit audio at resolutions up to 24-bit/96 kHz, delivering clarity and detail unavailable with analog radio.
Better interference resistance. DAB+ is more resistant to interference than analog radio. This means cleaner and more audible sound in areas where signal interference occurs.
More features. DAB+ allows broadcasters to offer additional services, such as:
- text accompanying audio
- subtitles
- weather information
- traffic information
- news updates
Disadvantages
Hardware requirements. To listen to DAB+ radio, you need a DAB+ receiver. DAB+ receivers are available on the market but may be more expensive than analog radio receivers.
Availability. DAB+ is still in the implementation phase in many countries, including Poland. Not all radio stations offer DAB+ yet, and DAB+ coverage may be limited. According to Poland’s National Broadcasting Council:
- 94% of new cars in Europe come with built-in DAB+ digital radio
- in Poland, this percentage is 92%
DAB+ is a technology with great potential that could change the way we listen to radio. Whether it will become a universal radio standard will impact radio’s future as a medium.
Improving DAB+ receiver availability and expanding DAB+ coverage are the main challenges facing this new technology today. If successful, DAB+ could paint the future of radio in entirely new colors.
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New articles in section Media market
The Future of Journalism and Media. Predictions by Reuters Institute
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74% of publishers fear a decline in search traffic. Paid subscribers are no longer growing as they used to, and relationships with tech giants are becoming increasingly complex. The report "Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2025" forecasts what lies ahead for the media world in 2025.
Social Media and Relationships. Interesting Research from Palestine
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What does love look like in the digital age? Does technology bring people closer or push them apart? In an era where Facebook and Instagram replace dinner table conversations, social media has become a new space for marital relationships. Researchers from An-Najah National University examined how technology can build bonds but also sow uncertainty.
Television, Trends, and Viewer Habits. EBU Report
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Young Europeans watch television for an average of only 72 minutes a day, and in some countries, less than 30 minutes. Traditional television is giving way to TikTok, Netflix, and YouTube. Viewer habits are changing dramatically before our eyes. What does this mean for the future of media?
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Media in the Balkans and Turkey
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The Balkans have long been referred to as a “melting pot,” and for good reason. This region is highly diverse and quite unstable. Consequently, the media landscape here is varied as well. In some places, such as democratic Greece, a member of the European Union, the media market is stable and easy to navigate.
Disinformation 2024. Major Threats According to the Global Risk Report
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In 2024, the world will face several global threats, including disinformation, climate change, and armed conflicts. These three challenges will have a significant impact on the economy, society, and the environment. These findings come from the "Global Risks Report" by the World Economic Forum.
Radio Fanatics. Who Listens for One-Third of the Day?
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One in five listeners now spends over 8 hours daily listening to the radio, according to data from the Radio Track study. Since the beginning of the year, the number of these avid listeners has grown by 300,000.
New Individual Mass Media (Mass Self Communication)
Grzegorz D. Stunża
In the latest issue of "Le Monde Diplomatique," there’s an article by Manuel Castells titled "Individual Mass Media." The author points out that media, once subjective and often party-affiliated (as with newspapers), only briefly moved away from one-sidedness when under various pressures.
