Entries by Paul - shortWWWave

BBC to axe 6Music

Posted by Paul • Saturday, February 27. 2010 • Category: news

The BBC will close digital radio stations 6Music and the Asian network, in an effort to reduce its size and not compete with commercial rivals, according to a report in the Times today.

Already a 65000 person strong Facebook group opposed to the closure of 6Music has emerged, and messages on Twitter have been running hot all day. There is also an online petition and Labour MP Tom Watson has drafted a motion to be tabled in parliament.

Not content with sitting by and watch the BBC throw away a unique station, shortWWWave has launched its own Save 6Music website.

Melbourne to get new talk radio station

Posted by Paul • Wednesday, February 24. 2010 • Category: domestic radio

Melbourne will get a new talkback radio station in 2010, when 3MP drops its long held easy music format. Targeted to go head-to-head with market leader 3AW, and to a lesser extent, the considerably more moderate 774 from the ABC, 3MP will hire the high-profile Steve Price from Sydney's 2UE as program director and breakfast announcer, along with the conservative Herald-Sun writer, Andrew Bolt.

The end result, however, may simply be to split 3AW's audience, and leave the ABC's 774 Melbourne at the top of the ratings.

Seven launches 7TWO on digital

Posted by Paul • Sunday, November 1. 2009 • Category: terrestrial tv

Australia's Seven network has launched a new digital multichannel named 7TWO. The station is aimed at a general audience, unlike its competitor's second channels GO (from the Nine network, aimed at a youth audience) and ONE-HD (24 hour sport, from the Ten network).

The station is now on air in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Australia's Nine network announces new channel

Posted by Paul • Thursday, July 16. 2009 • Category: terrestrial tv

Australia's Nine network has finally announced details of its new digital channel, which is to be launched on August 9th, 2009. The station will be named "GO!" and will be pitched at people aged 14-39 years old, a direct attack on the rival Ten network, which targets a youthful audience.

The station will be available on digital only, on channel 99 in metropolitan areas. In regional areas in Australia's eastern states, the new station is expected to be carried by the WIN and NBN networks on channel 80.

Earlier this year, the Ten network commenced broadcast of its ONE-HD sports channel. The third Australian network, Seven, has not yet provided any details of what it plans to do on its second standard definition digital channel.

Fiji orders Radio Australia transmitters off the air

Posted by Paul • Thursday, April 16. 2009 • Category: shortwave radio

In a move that will have every shortwave enthusiast saying "I told you so", Fiji's military dictatorship has ordered Radio Australia's local FM transmitters to be shut down.

International broadcasters worldwide have being scaling back their shortwave services, preferring to set up local transmitters in their target countries, seemingly oblivious to the fact that those transmitters will only continue to function as long as the local government remained friendly.

Radio Australia is fortunate that it still operates shortwave services to this region, but this should come as a hard lesson to all international broadcasters that local FM radio is no substitute for shortwave radio.

Australia's Ten network announce 24 hour sports station for 2009

Posted by Paul • Tuesday, October 28. 2008 • Category: terrestrial tv

Australia's Ten network has announced that it will launch a 24-hour free-to-air sports station across metropolitan cities in 2009. The station, to be named "ONE", will be available on the network's HD channel 1, replacing the current Ten-HD programming, as well as the network's new standard-definition channel 12.

This is somewhat at odds with the network's committment earlier this year that it would continue to broadcast movies in high-definition, as this will no longer be possible once the new station begins.

From January 1st, 2009, all commercial television stations in Australia will be allowed to broadcast one extra standard-definition digital channel.

Link: Australian Stock Exchange announcement.

RTE digital radio stations now streaming

Posted by Paul • Sunday, June 22. 2008 • Category: domestic radio

Ireland's national broadcaster, RTE, has now launched internet streams of the digital stations that started in August 2007.

The stations available are: RTE 2XM (alternative rock music), RTE Digital Radio News, RTE Junior, RTE Gold, RTE Radio 1 Extra, RTE Pulse (Dance Music) and RTE Choice; streams for these stations and RTE's FM stations can be found on the RTE website.

Furthermore, RTE has historically used only Realaudio streams; but now Microsoft Windows Media streams are also available.

Australia's Nine Network streams news bulletins

Posted by Paul • Wednesday, June 11. 2008 • Category: terrestrial tv

The east coast stations of Australia's Nine network have started streaming their 6pm news bulletins on the internet.

The Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane stations broadcast half an hour of news at 6pm (0800 UTC) and it is now available worldwide, although unfortunately only in Windows Media Player and Silverlight formats, at this point in time.

New Australian TV channels delayed

Posted by Paul • Wednesday, May 21. 2008 • Category: terrestrial tv

The Australian government has put on hold the auction of new digital television licences, which were intended for providing new channels and mobile DVB-H television, according to a report in Melbourne's Age newspaper.

Known as channels A and B, one channel was going to be allocated to so-called datacasting and community television, with possible broadcasters including the indiginous broadcaster NITV, and the other was earmarked as a pay-TV service for mobile phones.

The new government plans for a technical and policy review before committing to an auction of the spectrum.

WRTH 2008 Update Supplement 2 released

Posted by Paul • Thursday, May 15. 2008 • Category: shortwave radio

The World Radio TV Handbook have released their second update for 2008.

Continue reading "WRTH 2008 Update Supplement 2 released"

Special QSL card from Radio Prague

Posted by Paul • Wednesday, May 14. 2008 • Category: shortwave radio

Radio Prague have announced the release of a special QSL card, celebrating the 85th anniversary of the commencement of regular broadcasts from Czech Radio.

To get one of your own, listen to their broadcast on May 18th, 2008 and then send a reception report to: Radio Praha, Vinohradská 12, 120 99 Praha 2, Česká Republika.

Australian Radio Ratings, Survey 3, 2008

Posted by Paul • Tuesday, May 13. 2008 • Category: domestic radio

Nielsen Media research have released the results of the third 2008 radio ratings survey for Australian metropolitan stations, with some surprises in a couple of markets.

Continue reading "Australian Radio Ratings, Survey 3, 2008"

CBC to launch new channels

Posted by Paul • Tuesday, May 13. 2008 • Category: news

Inside the CBC is reporting that Canada's national broadcaster is to launch new channels in the coming 18 months, including a 24 hour news channel. Additionally, Radio One will be redeveloped and Radio Two will be repositioned - again, much to the dismay of some listeners.

New channels unlikely in the short term

Posted by Paul • Monday, May 12. 2008 • Category: terrestrial tv

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that it is unlikely that Australia's commercial television operators will launch any new digital standard-definition multichannels as soon as they are legally allowed to do so. From January 1st, 2009, the previous government's restrictions on such channels will lapse. All three major commercial networks are currently allowed to broadcast separate programming streams on their high-definition channels, but in currently tend to limit multichannelling to afternoons and late evenings.

Free satellite service opens in the UK

Posted by Paul • Wednesday, May 7. 2008 • Category: news

The BBC and ITV have launched a free satellite service for viewers in the UK. FreeSat will carry 80 television and radio channels - and 200 by the end of 2008 - and will primarily be of interest to viewers who are unable to receive the terrestrial digital broadcasting service FreeView.

shortWWWave