Eureka-147 Smack-Down in Berlin

The World DAB Forum issued what it called “an international response” to a statement from the governmental body that regulates broadcasting for the Berlin-Brandenburg region. The Berlin and Brandenburg Media Authority called for Eureka-147 broadcasts in that portion of Germany to end, stating the technology is outdated and that a new standard for digital radio should be adopted by 2007.
The World DAB Forum notes that other states in Germany still favor Eureka-147 and that the broadcast regulator in Berlin “is becoming more isolated from the rest of Europe” and other countries “in its support for other technologies at the expense of DAB Digital Radio.”
The Berlin group sees promise in terrestrial digital video broadcasting in which TV channels are used to broadcast digital radio signals. According to sister publication Radio World International, DVB-T tests in France on 42 radio stations show advantages, including low-cost reception of radio and TV and low transmission costs.