After a number of false dawns in the past, digital radio might finally get a new lease of life in Ireland following news that two broadcasters, Wireless Ireland and Bauer Media Audio Ireland, are to take part in DAB+ trials over the coming months.
Wireless Ireland says it is planning on launching “a suite of new digital radio services” on DAB+ this year. Bauer Media has also confirmed that it will be taking party in the trials.
The new DAB+ trial will kick off in April and will be managed by FáilteDAB which has been licensed by Comreg and set up by Foothold Communications, an independent provider of telecom and broadcasting systems. Foothold also owns a large number of transmission towers around the country as well as over 1000 radio link and broadcast systems which it has under management.
The trial will cover Dublin and the surrounding area and will run for 12 months.
FáilteDAB says it encourages and welcomes all Irish Coimisiún na Meán licensed radio operators to participate in this trial “to maximise the diversity of choice and number of services delivered to the listener”.
“Wireless Ireland is proud to lead the charge in Ireland’s transition to digital broadcasting,” says Sean Barry, managing director of Wireless Ireland.
“The new FáilteDAB platform will offer listeners a broader and more immersive experience, with a blend of existing and new content offerings, creating diversity of choice for listeners across a large coverage area,” he adds.
“Wireless Ireland’s commitment will see us become the largest content provider on this new and exciting platform. The new stations are set to launch in the spring, with more details announced in coming weeks.”
According to Chris Doyle, CEO of Bauer Media Audio Ireland: “As an already significant player in the digital audio space, we are excited to take part in the trial. The initiative aligns perfectly with our commitment to innovation and delivering superior audio experiences to our listeners.”
The history of digital audio broadcasting (DAB) in Ireland goes back to the late 1990s although it was only in 2006, following a number of trials, that it was officially launched to listeners. With the exception of the state broadcaster RTÉ, however, most of the commercial broadcasters opted not to invest in DAB with many citing the hefty up-front investment costs and low digital listenership as a deterrent. In 2021, RTÉ announced that it was pulling the plug on its DAB network after a report found that just 0.5% of adults in Ireland listened to radio via DAB compared to 77% who listened to it on FM.
However over the past few years, uptake of DAB+ has grown considerably in many European countries as consumers embrace new audio habits, including the consumption of digital audio on different digital devices.
