Digital TV broadcasts were introduced several years ago, but digital radio is still in the test phase.
Earlier today, Minister of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković ceremoniously launched the first trial broadcast of digital radio in Croatia. The event was held at the primary transmitter of the “Odašiljači i Veze” public company at the Sljeme mountain near Zagreb, reports Index.hr on November 20, 2017.
In the test phase, the new digital signal will potentially be received by more than two million listeners of 16 radio stations in the area of Zagreb and eight counties in north and northwest Croatia.
The new digital platform will allow citizens to listen to radio programmes without interference. Eventually, there will also be an increase in the number of channels and a range of accompanying services, including textual and graphical display of news and weather reports. Radio stations will be able to reach more listeners than with the current FM platform.
“This trial period of the digital broadcast will last for one year and will cover the area of the City of Zagreb and eight counties: Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje, Varaždin, Međimurje, and parts of Karlovac, Sisak-Moslavina, Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria counties. The current FM platform will continue, but there will be no more room for introducing additional radio stations. However, once the digital technology is fully introduced, that will enable new stations to be launched, while existing channels will be able to expand and modernise their programming,” said Minister Butković.
He also announced that the primary transmitter at Sljeme would soon be renovated, adding that it also had a great tourist potential for Zagreb and Croatia.
“Odašiljači i Veze” (Transmitters and Links) public company has started with the introduction of digital radio to Croatia in accordance with global trends, and that will enable Croatian citizens to listen to radio content on a brand new and modern digital platform which delivers better signal reception and more programming.
“This is definitely the beginning of a new era of the broadcasting radio signal. I expect stations to have the opportunity to produce new content and to offer a lot more programmes to listeners,” said Mate Botica, managing director of “Odašiljači i Veze”.
He thanked the regulatory bodies, notably the Electronic Media Agency, which has recognised his company’s vision and enabled the rapid beginning of the trial broadcasts of digital radio.
Translated from Index.hr.
