Brazil’s Minister of Communications says that country could adopt HD Radio by September and allow transmissions at the beginning of 2008.
That’s according to a report from Tela Viva, a Brazilian news outlet that focuses on television.
According to the report, Minister of Communications Hélio Costa indicated that Brazil will likely adopt a hybrid of IBOC for AM and FM and Digital Radio Mondiale for shortwave.
However, last week at a conference on digital radio, Costa stated that no decision had yet been made. “The project is fundamental for the growth and integration of Brazil,” Costa said in a statement on his Web site. “We are seeking support and financing, in the same manner we approached digital television.”
In the same statement, Costa noted that Ibiquity had committed to not charge Brazilian broadcasters royalties to operate the HD Radio system.
Tela Viva also reported the Brazilian government has approved a reduction of import taxes on digital television transmission equipment from 12% to zero. The reduction only applies to goods that do not have domestically produced counterparts.
The Executive Management Committee of the Chamber of Exterior Commerce (Gecex) approved the two-year tariff reduction, which may be extended. A spokesman for Broadcast Electronics told Radio World the break would also apply to digital radio equipment.
The tax reduction has several layers of government approval yet to go to become final, he said.
