HD: Swiss Private Radio Association criticizes SRG
The Swiss Private Radio Association (VSP) finds it unacceptable that the SRG rejects HD technology and only promotes DAB and DAB+ as digital broadcasting technologies.
This was announced by the VSP on Thursday, according to SDA. In the opinion of the VSP, the SRG is pursuing a media policy that only serves its own interests and deviates from that of the federal government. Switzerland has opted for a dual system in order to give all radio stations - the public broadcasters and the larger and smaller private radio stations - access to digital broadcasting technologies. This provides for DAB+ for coverage of linguistic regions on the one hand and digital FM for smaller areas on the other.
In order not to exclude smaller radio stations from digital broadcasting technologies, the Uvek has already provided for the possibility of broadcasting a radio station's main program on analogue and digital FM in the newly allocated radio licences. Thanks to HD radio technology, this can be done on the same frequency, which saves marketing costs. It will also be possible to broadcast two additional digital channels. According to VSP, this makes digital broadcasting affordable even for smaller radios.
Radio Argovia (AG), Radio Basel (BS), Capital FM (BE), Radio 24 (ZH) and Radio Sunshine (ZG) announced on Tuesday that they expect to launch HD radio on September 1. The corresponding applications have been submitted to the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom). The SRG was disconcerted by this. The additional technology creates confusion among consumers, which ultimately weakens the medium of radio as a whole. In addition, no devices are available in Europe.
According to VSP, the necessary receivers do not pose any problems, as there has long been a consensus in the device industry that modern receivers must be multi-standard compatible.
In order not to exclude smaller radio stations from digital broadcasting technologies, the Uvek has already provided for the possibility of broadcasting a radio station's main program on analogue and digital FM in the newly allocated radio licences. Thanks to HD radio technology, this can be done on the same frequency, which saves marketing costs. It will also be possible to broadcast two additional digital channels. According to VSP, this makes digital broadcasting affordable even for smaller radios.
Radio Argovia (AG), Radio Basel (BS), Capital FM (BE), Radio 24 (ZH) and Radio Sunshine (ZG) announced on Tuesday that they expect to launch HD radio on September 1. The corresponding applications have been submitted to the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom). The SRG was disconcerted by this. The additional technology creates confusion among consumers, which ultimately weakens the medium of radio as a whole. In addition, no devices are available in Europe.
According to VSP, the necessary receivers do not pose any problems, as there has long been a consensus in the device industry that modern receivers must be multi-standard compatible.
