As part of World Radio Day 2023 commemorations, WorldDAB, the global industry forum for DAB digital radio, has released a new book, “Establishing DAB+ Digital Broadcast Radio,” written by broadcast technology expert Dr. Les Sabel.
The free ebook offers a unique, in-depth guide to the regulatory, technical and commercial aspects of establishing a successful DAB digital radio service. The book guides new countries seeking to launch DAB services and offers advice for markets that have already started the process and those nearing permanent service status. It features invaluable industry insights from Sabel’s twenty years of digital radio experience to assist those involved in establishing DAB+, from media regulators and policymakers to broadcasters and engineers.
The book covers the complete DAB+ establishment process from initial interest through to analog switch-off. The topics covered include the seven major stages: (1) initial interest; (2) technical demonstrations; (3) formal standard adoption and regulation, including coverage requirements and frequency planning; (4) systems planning and design – both transmission and multiplexer network design; (5) rollout activities including construction, content, receivers, and launch marketing; (6) operations, including ongoing content development and sustained marketing campaigns; and finally (7) analog switch-off.
Dr. Sabel says, “WorldDAB identified how to establish a digital radio service as a critical issue, particularly in the context of increasing interest in DAB+ from countries across Asia-Pacific and Africa. After the success of publishing a series of articles on the DAB adoption process in the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Technical Review in 2021-22, I was delighted to work with WorldDAB to capture the complete process in this essential ebook.”
President of WorldDAB, Patrick Hannon, says, “With so much interest in establishing DAB+ around the world, producing a comprehensive guide was a natural step for us. Les is a leading authority in this field, and we’re pleased to be able to share his experience by publishing this ebook on World Radio Day. DAB is already well-established across Europe and Australia, with over 110 million receivers in use, and we’re confident our new book will help this grow even further.”
The ebook is now available to read and download for free here on the WorldDAB website.