The new technology is opening up rifts
DAB The Federal Council wants to license at least eight digital private radio stations before the summer vacations. The problem: they want to broadcast in a different standard than SRG SSR.
DAB The Federal Council wants to license at least eight digital private radio stations before the summer vacations. The problem is that they want to broadcast in a different standard to SRG SSR.DAB digital radio may be slow to catch on, but it is on the rise. The Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) has identified the widest possible variety of programs as one of the most important prerequisites for wider acceptance among radio listeners. This is why it gave the green light for a second layer last year. This is because DAB is technically designed in such a way that ten to twelve channels are always broadcast in a bundled package, known as a layer. SRG SSR already broadcasts eleven of its radio stations throughout Switzerland in the first layer. The second layer will now also include private broadcasters. SRG SSR would like to have two of the ten or so additional channels: Schweizer Radio DRS has submitted a project for a news channel with quarter-hourly news, and an English-language channel called World Radio Switzerland is to be created under the leadership of Radio Suisse Romande. A total of 18 private parties have applied for the remaining eight channels, including the major publishing houses. Ringier, for example, wants to broadcast classical music and business news with Cash classics, and the local radio stations belonging to the NZZ Group are planning a joint entertainment program with Radio.ch.
The projects also include DJ and youth radio stations, programs previously only broadcast via cable such as Eviva and a joint project of local radio stations in the mountain regions called Swiss Mountain Holiday Radio.
Conflicting interestsWhen the tender was issued last year, DETEC announced that the concessions would be awarded this spring. But they have still not been issued. This is because technical developments have thrown a spanner in the works. With new compression processes, it would now be possible to broadcast over twenty channels in one layer - theoretically all 18 channels for which an application has been submitted would be possible. The crux of the matter is that the new process, which is called DABplus, cannot be received with existing DAB receivers. This would not be a problem for private broadcasters. They are interested in those listeners who will only buy a new receiver when the private broadcasters go on air. That is why they are vehemently in favor of the new procedure.
For SRG SSR, however, DABplus is a problem. It is true that new devices can also receive programs broadcast in the previous standard. But the planned news program and World Radio could not be received by those who already have a DAB receiver. SRG SSR would have the option of moving two existing stations from the first layer, which will continue to be broadcast using the conventional method, to the second layer and placing its two new stations in the first layer. The private broadcasters would like to prevent this. They fear for the attractiveness of the overall package in the new layer if SRG SSR only places "slow sellers" there and can broadcast the two attractive new offerings in the existing layer.
The Federal Council decides which technical standard the private broadcasters may use and on which layer the two new SRG channels will ultimately be broadcast. It can specify this in the licenses.
According to DETEC spokesperson André Simonazzi, the decision will be made before the summer vacation.
Adrian Scherrer
The projects also include DJ and youth radio stations, programs previously only broadcast via cable such as Eviva and a joint project of local radio stations in the mountain regions called Swiss Mountain Holiday Radio.
Conflicting interestsWhen the tender was issued last year, DETEC announced that the concessions would be awarded this spring. But they have still not been issued. This is because technical developments have thrown a spanner in the works. With new compression processes, it would now be possible to broadcast over twenty channels in one layer - theoretically all 18 channels for which an application has been submitted would be possible. The crux of the matter is that the new process, which is called DABplus, cannot be received with existing DAB receivers. This would not be a problem for private broadcasters. They are interested in those listeners who will only buy a new receiver when the private broadcasters go on air. That is why they are vehemently in favor of the new procedure.
For SRG SSR, however, DABplus is a problem. It is true that new devices can also receive programs broadcast in the previous standard. But the planned news program and World Radio could not be received by those who already have a DAB receiver. SRG SSR would have the option of moving two existing stations from the first layer, which will continue to be broadcast using the conventional method, to the second layer and placing its two new stations in the first layer. The private broadcasters would like to prevent this. They fear for the attractiveness of the overall package in the new layer if SRG SSR only places "slow sellers" there and can broadcast the two attractive new offerings in the existing layer.
The Federal Council decides which technical standard the private broadcasters may use and on which layer the two new SRG channels will ultimately be broadcast. It can specify this in the licenses.
According to DETEC spokesperson André Simonazzi, the decision will be made before the summer vacation.
Adrian Scherrer
