Digital radio report

In common with other industrialised countries, the radio industry in Australia is in the midst of a significant transformation. Traditional analogue radio services, broadcasting on AM and FM frequencies, remain popular and continue to attract substantial audiences and revenue. However, the analogue platform is very mature, offering only limited capacity for technical change and development, and FM spectrum is now largely fully occupied in population dense areas. In addition, AM transmissions face growing pressure from urban development and related increasing signal interference. The Australian radio industry therefore retains a strong interest in the opportunities presented by digital radio for service innovation and future growth. To date, digital terrestrial radio services have been licensed for the five mainland state capital cities,1 and trials involving such services are underway in Canberra and Darwin. Within the mainland state capital cities, take up of digital terrestrial radio services continues to grow slowly but steadily with listenership reaching almost 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2015.2 Listenership has benefitted from increased availability of digital radio receivers in motor vehicles (a primary source of listening) and the recent additional rollout of in-fill transmitters increasing coverage of the services in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The cost and complexity of rolling out Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus (DAB+)-based digital terrestrial radio services across regional Australia3 present major challenges for the industry. The need to cover large geographic areas with small and dispersed populations offers unique challenges which have not been faced in many international markets. At the same time, Australians are rapidly adopting new types of technology with the growth of online audio platforms such as Spotify and Pandora. These services are complementing the move by traditional radio businesses—most notably the national broadcasters—to deliver radio services online or through mobile apps. The announcement by Apple of a move into the streamed audio market will only increase the choices available to audiences. These services may herald a generational change in listening habits with significant implications for traditional platforms over time. That said, there are ongoing challenges with the bandwidth and data transmission requirements of these services being delivered to large audiences over mobile and wireless platforms. The digital terrestrial radio industry is subject to a range of regulatory requirements in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the BSA) and the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (the Radiocommunications Act), which govern matters such as the planning and start up of services, and the sharing of and access to the transmission multiplex in each area. Against the background of changes in the radio industry, this review considers whether changes are required to this framework to provide greater flexibility to the industry and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) to plan for change and ensure that the radio industry is well placed to determine its future strategies for digital services. Key issues examined by the review included: the current state of digital terrestrial radio in Australia, and the impacts of alternative technologies on the industry and listeners; whether Australia should set a digital switchover date for analogue commercial, national, community or other terrestrially transmitted radio services; what legislative/regulatory arrangements should be in place to assist the rollout of digital terrestrial radio services in regional areas; and whether changes are required to the legislative regime for digital radio, including to reduce the regulatory burden on industry

Monday Noon Research & Class Visit

Communication & Journalism will bring Greg Goodale, Associate Professor of Rhetoric at Northeastern University, to campus for a lecture and a class visit in Spring of 2012, April2-3. Professor Goodale is an emerging star in the study of rhetoric, in particular on the place of sound in Communication. His 201 I book, Sonic Persuasion: Reading Sound in the Recorded Age, is groundbreaking. For his visit, Professor Goodale will present from his book in the CMJ Spring Colloquium Series on Monday, April 2. On Tuesday, he will guest teach in CMJ 201 (introduction to rhetorical theory) on sound and violence

David Bacon Lecture

The University of Maine Dept. of Communications and Journalism will host a distinguished author and photojournalist, David Bacon on April 19,2010. His talk, to be presented at 1 PM in DPC 115 is entitled, Immigration and Free Trade, The New Realities. Note that the Diversity Committee of the College of Education, the School of Policy and International Affairs and are all cosponsors of this visit

Cross Walking ; A Performance on Environmental Issues

We request a CA/DLS grant to help fund a visit by Professor Jonathan Gray (see bio below) April 7 - I0,2011, to address the contributions of communication studies to environmental issues. CA/DLS funds are particularly appropriate for the public performance event (#1 below), which has broad audience appeal on and off campus, and which contributes to the visibility of UM\u27s new, interdisciplinary Sustainability Solutions Initiative for quality of place in Maine. The complementary events (#2,3,and4) will also attract a diverse audiences

Private sector use of open government data: results from the Open Data 500 Australia

The Government has released use cases collected as part of a study into the new and innovate ways Australian organisations are using open government data. The study targets companies and non-profit organisations that use open government data to generate new business, develop new products and services, improve business operations or create social value. Small businesses made up the majority of participants (79 percent) primarily from data and technology, research and consulting, and geospatial and mapping companies: 69% were private companies 20% were non-profit organisations 49% of organisations that participated had revenue sources that included consulting 43% were government contracts 29% were organisations that used data analysis for clients Most companies are using data to: 65% - to create new or improved products or services 55% - to generate cost efficiencies 51% - to identify new opportunities The survey shows companies are using multiple datasets: 40% of participants said they use between 11 and 50 data sources 22% use more than 100 data sources 31% use less than 10 data sources The report also provides insight into what data is being used: 60% of participants day they use it within their organisation Other types of data commonly used by the private sector included 49% - the environment 45% - demographics and social 42% - positioning and GPS The Open Data 500 Australia will remain open to continue to build the catalogue of open data use cases.  Any organisation currently using open government data is encouraged to participate in the study at: http://www.opendata500.com/au/submitCompany