VIENNA, Austria�KommAustria, the regulatory authority for electronic audio media and electronic audiovisual media in Austria, has issued a survey to radio broadcasters in that country, to gauge the level of interest in DAB+ radio there.� A secondary purpose is to determine the transmission capacity needed for any future distribution systems.
DAB+ testing has been going on in Vienna since May of last year. The test multiplex carries 15 stations, including Radio Arabella, Radio NRJ and Lounge FM.� The ORF and the largest commercial broadcasters in Austria are not participating in the trial.� �The top dogs are delaying the switch from analog to digital radio as long as possible so as not to jeopardize their market share, and are instead accelerating their Internet�radio offerings,� according tokrone.at.
Assuming KommAustria decides to expand DAB+ distribution throughout Austria, more multiplexes are expected to come online by the first half of 2017. Plans already exist to build muxes in eastern Austria, and the provincial capitals, with capacity for as few as 24 and as many as 30 stations for nationwide distribution.
The shutdown of FM is not expected before 2024 because of the resistance of several market participants in Austria.
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