Canadian Digital Radio Marketing Effort Shifts Focus

Is it a coincidence that after Clear Channel gives the U.S. IBOC technology conversion process a jump-start, the group marketing the Eureka-147 technology in Canada overhauls itself in order to better focus that rollout? Stations using the DAB technology in Canada tend to be clustered along the populated U.S. border areas.
Canadian marketers Digital Radio Roll-Out Inc., have restructured the organization, endorsed a plan to re-focus the group and appointed a new board of directors. Glenn O’Farrell, President/CEO, Canadian Association of Broadcasters, is now Interim President of DRRI. He replaces Duff Roman and David Garforth, president and executive director of DRRI respectively, since 1997.
The group will shift its primary focus away from marketing in order to track DAB activities and address policy and regulatory issues which members believe is fundamental to the Eureka-147 technology advancement in Canada.
DRRI and the CAB have an agreement that they believe will help make Canada’s digital radio rollout more efficient and also cut operational costs for DRRI. The CAB will provide DRRI with professional services, as well as ensure DRRI management and overhead.
DRII plans to hire an engineering consultant to follow DAB issues and manage the DRRI policy, regulatory and technical files. The consultant would also be a liaison between DRRI and Canadian regulators, the receiver and auto industries, retailers and the WorldDAB Forum, which markets the Eureka-147 technology in other parts of the world.
DRRI, is a non-profit joint initiative of major private broadcasters (Astral Radio Inc., CHUM Ltd., Corus Entertainment Inc., Rogers Media, Standard Radio Inc.), smaller private broadcasters, and public broadcasters (CBC/Radio Canada) with the support of the Canadian government.