Australian commercial radio broadcasters have unveiled a digital radio-enabled mobile phone that allows users to view, navigate and store visual content broadcast by radio stations. The phone features the “Visual DAB/DAB+” application that can receive digital radio broadcasts, along with images such as track details, news headlines, weather images and competitions.
Digital radio broadcasters could use the technology for a range of interactive services such as competitions, music charts, shopping, voting and user-generated content, as well as revenue opportunities through special offers and electronic coupons.
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) Chief Executive Officer, Joan Warner, said: “Australian radio broadcasters are committed to getting digital radio and its exciting multimedia features into mobile phones. By working with (UK-based) The Technology Partnership and All In Media we’ll now be able to demonstrate some of the exciting possibilities that digital radio is capable of bringing to handsets when digital radio is officially launched.”
The Australian government has set an official start date of 1 January 2009 for digital radio in Australia, which will allow radio stations to broadcast multiple channels, along with images and data, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.
(Source: Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)