The sixth-largest urban center in Australia will gain new digital radio options on Apr. 4 when nine new commercial stations go on air via DAB+ in Gold Coast, Queensland, according to Commercial Radio Australia.
Gold Coast will be the 10th city in Australia to launch DAB+. ARN and Southern Cross Austereo plan to launch new stations for the DAB+ multiplex, and the market’s existing stations Sea FM, Triple M and Hot Tomato will simulcast on DAB+ and FM.
“As a successful early adopter of the digital radio spectrum, we are delighted that Gold Coast listeners will now be able to access new DAB+ stations from the Hit and Triple M family,” said SCA CEO Grant Blackley. “DAB+ offers a higher quality listening experience and, for SCA, the ability to increase our audience in southeast Queensland.”
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“We’re excited to be able to elevate the current FM listening experience onto the DAB+ spectrum, but beyond that, given that the Gold Coast is Australia’s sixth largest city with one of the fastest growing economies in the country, it presents a significant opportunity for national advertisers to connect with an audience at scale,” said ARN Regional COO Michael Harvey.
DAB+ receivers are widespread in Australian automobiles; 78% of all new vehicles sold in the country last year were fitted with DAB+ as standard.
DAB+ launched in Brisbane, Queensland, in 2009 as part of the initial rollout of the technology to Australia. Located about 45 miles north of Gold Coast, Brisbane DAB+ signals have had some limited reach into the northern part of the Gold Coast market.
