Community radio in transition : the challenge of digital migration

Abstract

Radio, the oldest form of electronic broadcasting, has been described as the last medium to go digital. Yet developments have been underway for over twenty years to create new technologies and digital platforms for the transmission of radio in digital form. Drawing upon extensive cross-national research conducted by the Digital Radio Cultures in Europe research group, this volume offers the first comprehensive review of the complex environment in which European digital radio now operates. The title describes the technologies, policies and different strategies utilized to bring radio into the digital era. O’Neill and his co-editors present detailed studies of the development of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), successes and failures in digital radio implementation, and future scenarios for radio in a fully converged media environment. Essays address the fact that radio now stands at a crossroads in its development, and question whether the medium has a viable future or whether it will converge with other forms of multimedia and audiovisual media services. Digital Radio in Europe provides an accessible introduction for the student, researcher and practitioner to the technologies and policies for digital radio broadcasting in both a European and global context.