Slovenia launches digital radio
Ljubljana, 20 September - The official roll-out of digital radio will start in Slovenia on Tuesday as public broadcaster RTV Slovenija launches the first digital radio network featuring 13 radio stations.
Nanos
The broadcasting tower on Mt Nanos in the south-west of Slovenia.
Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA
File photo
RTV Slovenija will operate the first digital multiplex, called R1, and will broadcast from seven transmitters around the country.
The Agency for Communication Networks and Services has said initial coverage would be 60% of the population for indoor reception and 70% for outdoor reception.
Slovenia has opted for the DAB+ technology, the next generation of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) technology.
Radios with DAB+ decoding technology are already available in stores and some car stereos are also compatible with the technology.
While the introduction of digital terrestrial broadcasting ended the era of analogue TV broadcasts, digital radio will not squeeze out analogue FM radio.
The DAB+ network will operate alongside the existing FM network since it is a parallel technology with additional capabilities rather than a replacement.
Digital radio for example offers better sound quality and the ability to broadcast multiple stations on a single network.
Most notably, radio stations will be able to offer additional multimedia content such as images, messaging, electronic programme guides and traffic information in the form of text or picture messages.
Four radio stations operated by RTV Slovenija, including its flagship programme Val 202, will be available in digital alongside nine commercial stations catering for a range of tastes including top hits, rock, religious programmes and Slovenian music.