RadioDNS started life back in 2008 as a collaboration project between the BBC and Global Radio. In 2013, we have 26 members, 70+ project supporters and services running in over 14 countries.

It’s important to us that we continue to recognise our international status, and try to make the adoption and implementation of RadioDNS services as easy as possible for broadcasters, manufacturers and service providers across the world.

We’ve taken a decision to redesign the RadioDNS website, and make it a much clearer and more intuitive experience. We’re also working towards incorporating a complete test and demonstration environment to allow broadcasters and manufacturers to demonstrate the functionality of our applications, and we want to support non-English speakers in their own languages.

Can you help us get there?

For the design, we’re committed to our new site being the best of its class, using bold, clean design elements and navigation. We want to work with someone with a proven track record in contemporary web design, who can understand the complex information we need to make available via our site and interpret that in a visually attractive and functional way.

We’ve decided to continue running the site on WordPress, because of it’s open source nature and some of the legacy content we want to carry over. We’ll need someone who can work with the designer in the site construction, and take the design elements and implement them on the WordPress platform. It’ll require plenty of experience of customising WordPress, strong contemporary web coding skills (HTML5/CSS3/Javascript), and you must be able to create a site architecture that represents best of practice (taking into account navigation and SEO considerations).

Please send your details and examples of your work to Caroline at the Project Office by 17:00 CET on Friday 24th May.

The EBU’s 19th EURORADIO Assembly took place last week in Tenerife, at the invitation of Radio Nacional de España.

The packed programme dealt with a broad spectrum of topics, including funding issues and the challenges and opportunites that accompany a more converged media landscape. In her welcome address, Media Director Annika Nyberg Frankenhaeuser said that, in the last year, radio had taken a more prominent position in the EBU, with the Euro-Chip campaign and the radio recommendation R 138 being just two examples of this.

The Secretary of RadioDNS, Mathias Coinchon (Senior Project Manager at EBU Technology & Development) demonstrated visual radio, service following and tagging based on the RadioDNS Hybrid Radio specifications. Mathias says:

“RadioTAG enables personalisation of programme enrichment. The demo in Tenerife was a prototype implementation where programme elements can be tagged – or bookmarked – on a simple receiver without web browsing capabilities, and the tagged elements displayed later on a more advanced receiving platform, such as an Android tablet.”

Mathias continues, “Tagging could help to enable the listener to listen again, download podcasts, or access additional information about the content. It can also help the link to social media platforms and to music platforms such as Spotify.”

EBU Technology & Innovation has created a set of tools for broadcasters to launch hybrid radio services, whether they are on FM or DAB/DAB+. An online platform is available, where broadcasters can very easily register their station and define simple visualisation. This service is free but, for now, experimental. The EBU believe that it is important that broadcasters activate hybrid radio for their station to break the ‘chicken and egg’ situation and help bring more receivers to the market.

  

We’ve arrived in Las Vegas and we’re here at booth C147 at the NAB Show. We’re talking to our US members, and demonstrating some great applications of our technology. As ever, thanks to our member NAB for inviting us to take a booth again this year.

Clearchannel and Cox, two of our American members, worked in conjunction with us to show their stations using RadoVIS.

Along with Visteon, we’re showing how you can connect your smartphone to your car radio via Bluetooth and receive audio through FM, and content rich data like visuals and station information on your phone through IP.

Our tagging demo has attracted a lot of interest. Using a demo broadcast of Capital FM, we’re showing how simple it is to “tag” content, which then gets sent to a personal webpage where you can explore the content in more detail at your leisure. Broadcasters are excited by the opportunity to attract more advertising revenue using this interactive service, and also offer their listeners a more immersive and exciting experience.

We’re also demonstrating how RadioDNS can enable service following on a smartphone, where the device automatically switches to IP if an FM connection is lost, and switches back when the signal returns. Have a look at our video below.

If you’re visiting, do come and say hello to us.

 

RadioDNS was at RadioDays Europe this year, speaking to broadcasters and participating in a Hybrid Radio presentation.

Germany is a very important market for us, so we hosted a small, informal seminar specifically for German broadcasters, on Sunday 17 March  in conjunction with the German Digital Radio Project Office. We showed delegates how easy it is to implement our technologies, looked at some case studies across the world including a presentation from RTBF, the Belgian public broadcaster and heard from Visteon on how RadioDNS can work in the car.

On Monday from 15.00 – 15.45, RadioDNS took part in a presentation about Hybrid Radio, alongside ARD, Visteon and UK RadioPlayer. This was a very positive session, with everyone agreeing that Hybrid Radio is a vital piece of radio’s future.
Sebastian Kett from ARD demonstrated that they see Hybrid Radio as an essential part of Germany’s digital ecosystem, while Tobias Wallerius of Visteon explained how they have incorporated RadioDNS Hybrid Radio in both their high-end highly functional in-car entertainment solutions, and also in radios intended for the mass-market, linked to a smart phone. Andy Buckingham, the Team Leader of the RadioTAG project, explained that RadioTAG will offer a simple but powerful interaction model for radio in many situations, including on smart-phones and in cars. Mike Hill showed how UK RadioPlayer have integrated RadioDNS technology into their compelling prototype user interface for hybrid radio.
After the session there were many visitors to our demonstration table, where we showed hybrid radio in car radio devices from Visteon, the UK RadioPlayer prototype hybrid radio, RadioTAG operating across radios, smartphones and tablets, and a demonstration of automatic switching between FM radio and streaming on a smart phone.

Next, we’ll be at NAB in Las Vegas. Do let us know if you’re there and would like to say hello.

 

 

RadioDNS Seminar – Wir begrüßen Sie in Berlin, 17. März 2013

RadioDNS ist eine für Jedermann offene Technologie, die Rundfunk und Internet optimal zusammenwirken lässt, um die Nutzungserfahrung zu verbessern und dadurch Radio besser zu machen.

Das RadioDNS Projekt ist eine non-profit Organisation, die globale Standards für Hybridradio entwickelt und unterstützt. Wir haben 27 Mitglieder, 65 Unterstützer und über 1.900 Radiostationen, die unsere RadioDNS Technologie einsetzen. Es sind erst zwei Jahre seit unserer Gründung als Organisation vergangen, aber das Interesse in unserem Projekt wächst und wächst.

Mit Unterstützung des ARD Projektbüros Digitalradio möchten wir Sie zu einem informellen Treffen einladen, bei dem Sie die Köpfe hinter dem Projekt kennenlernen und mehr über die Vorteile erfahren können, die RadioDNS sowohl Programmanbietern als auch Hörern ermöglicht. Dies schließt insbesondere eine bessere Hörerbindung sowie einzigartige Möglichkeiten der Refinanzierung ein.

Wann: Sonntag, 17. März 2013

14.00 – 14.30 Uhr Get together

14.30 – 16.00 Uhr Briefing und Demos

16.00 – 17.00 Uhr Networking

Wo: Excellent Business Center, Berlin Hauptbahnhof

Registrierung

Bitte füllen Sie das Anmeldeformular auf der Unterseite der gelinkten Seite

Seite Wenn Sie weitere Fragen haben, bitte emailen Sie Caroline Brindle, unser Projekt Co-ordinator.

 

 

Referenten

Nick Piggott, Bereichsleiter „Kreative Technologien“ bei Global Radio (UK) und Vorsitzender des RadioDNS Projekts
1999 baute Nick ein kleines Multi-Experten-Team auf, um das weltweit erste private Digitalradio Programm zu starten. Unter seiner Leitung hat dieses Team beständig innovative, neue Zusatzangebote für Radiomacher angeboten – u.a. interaktive Textnachrichtendienste, Musikdownloads, mobile und Multi-Plattform Anwendungen sowie Bilddienste.

Nick kann auf eine lange Karriere in der Privatradio Industrie zurückblicken – zunächst im Programmbereich und seit Ende der 90er Jahre im Bereich Digitalradio.

Nick ist einer der Gründer von RadioDNS, einem offenen Technologieprojekt, welches Rundfunk und Internet zusammenbringt, und die Stärken von Rundfunk (viele Menschen zu erreichen) mit den Stärken des Internets (personalisierte sowie „Premium-„ Inhalte zu übertragen) miteinander verbindet.

In der Verbindung sowohl als passionierter Befürworter von Radio sowie als hochangesehener Redner auf Konferenzen reist Nick um die Welt, um über die Möglichkeiten von Radio im digitalen Zeitalter zu sprechen.

Michael Reichert, Leiter ARD Projektbüro Digitalradio

Michael ist seit vielen Jahren ein aktiver Befürworter von Digitalradio.
Bis 2007 arbeitete er als leitender Redakteur für das digitale Hörfunkprogramm SWRinfo, bei dem er auch für den Bereich Programminnovation verantwortlich war.

Seit 2008 arbeitet er als Leiter strategischer und fachliche übergreifender Arbeitsgruppen (z.B. Radio PLUS Studie, Radio der Zukunft etc.) im SWR.
Seit 2011 ist er zudem Leiter des Projektbüros Digitalradio, welches im
Zuge des Digitalradiostarts in 2011 sowohl von öffentlich-rechtlichen als
auch privaten Rundfunkanbietern eingerichtet wurde. Michael vertritt die
Interessen des ARD-Hörfunks auch in der EBU, der IMDA und RadioDNS.

Tobias Wallerius, Global Hardware Architect, Visteon

Tobias studierte zunächst Kommunikationstechnik und schloss sein Studium 2005 mit einer Diplomarbeit über Digital Radio Mondiale Empfängerkonzepte ab. Sein darauf aufbauendes Informatikstudium brachte er mit einer Masterthesis über Internetradio Empfangsverbesserungen im Automobil erfolgreich zum Abschluss.

Seit 2006 arbeitet Tobias bei Visteon, dem weltweit operierenden Tier-1 Zulieferer für den Automobilbereich. Zuerst als System- und später als Hardwareingenieur für Digitalradio-Produkte wirkte er zusätzlich bei der Standardisierung und Förderung von Digitalradio in verschiedenen (Automobil-) Konsortien und Arbeitsgruppen mit. Zurzeit ist Tobias bei Visteon verantwortlich für die Vor- und Produktentwicklung von Digitalradio-Empfängern (DAB/DRM/Hybrid Radio/Internet Radio).

Tobias ist leidenschaftlicher Verfechter von neuen Radiotechnologien und setzt sich für deren schnelle Implementierung und Erprobung im Automobil ein.

Laurent Finet, Bereichsleiter „Digitale Strategie für Radio“ bei RTBF (Belgium)

Laurent ist Bereichsleiter für digitale Radiostrategien bei RTBF, dem französischsprachigen öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanbieter in Belgien, sowie Referent des Hörfunkdirektors von RTBF.

Als langjähriger Fan von RadioDNS treibt Laurent die interne Entwicklung von Bilddiensten, interaktiven Diensten sowie RadioDNS Angeboten für RTBF voran. Laurent ist zu 200% davon überzeugt, dass „Hybridität“ DIE Zukunft für Radio ist, und dass RadioDNS der einfachste Weg ist, in diese Zukunft zu gelangen.

Laurent leistet persönliche, engagierte Überzeugungsarbeit für Digitalradio bei den privaten Rundfunkanbietern in Belgien und glaubt felsenfest and die Stärke von Metadaten, verbunden mit der Magie des Klangs („the magic-of-sound“).

 

Some excellent news just in from the BBC. This week Lauren Laverne will be broadcasting her 6 Music show live from the BBC Maida Vale studio. Between 10am – 13.00, all the bands appearing on Lauren’s show will be live.

The BBC is using RadioVIS to promote these acts on Lauren’s show, with the event’s hashtag #6musiclive being displayed on the slides to encourage listeners to get involved using social media. Some of these slides are shown below, and more will be added as the week progresses.

Brett Spencer, the Head of Digital for BBC 6 music, Radio 2 and Asian Network said, “We are trying to use 6 Music Live as a point of innovation for the station. Using RadioVIS/RadioDNS gives us another exciting way to enhance the radio broadcast for our digital audience. It’s a great innovation for 6 Music as we transmit our live streams across radio, red button, online and mobile from BBC Maida Vale.”

 

We’re always really pleased to hear how our members and supporters are utilising RadioDNS technology and services. The Netherlands Public Broadcaster, NPO, joined as a member in January 2013 and we’re delighted to have them on board.

Walter Huijten, Service Manager for Radio at NPO has written us a thoughtful and interesting blog below on how RadioDNS fits in to NPO’s services and strategy for radio.

NPO Netherlands Public Broadcasting, have taken the step to formally join the RadioDNS community and activities. It automatically became a supporter by adopting the standards last year, but felt it needed to further start supporting this valuable initiative as a Public Service Broadcaster.

A little background. Whilst in the Netherlands DAB has had a lingering existence since 2004, NPO, together with private and commercial broadcasters have decided to step up the initiative and fully deploy DAB+ over the coming 5 years.

In the meanwhile Internet radio listening has developed strongly in the Netherlands with a 5-10% share. NPO has always been very active in this field and streams all its main channels and 15+ genre channels in resolutions from 32kb/s for mobile devices up to 192kb for fixed internet.

NPO have embraced the idea that radio is and will increasingly be hybrid. Therefore standards like those fostered by IMDA and RadioDNS have become extremely important. NPO particularly see the RadioDNS standard as the glue that binds all those distribution methods together and offer an integrated user experience. The listener should really only be interested in getting his preferred content in the easiest way, through whatever route it may reach him. In a world where Radio competes with all kinds of media offerings, it needs to be as easy, rich and intuitive as possible.

At last September’s IBC in Amsterdam, NPO announced its adoption of the RadioDNS standards and featured a basic RadioVIS set-up. This was based on the “Visual Radio” content that is being offered by  Radio 1, 2, 6 and 3FM for about 3 years now: http://www.3fm.nl/live  However simply forwarding screenshots from a Visual Radio stream as a slide show to RadioVIS is probably not the most exiting use of that standard: it’s a beginning.

We are now working on ways to have our integrated radio content management system publish interesting and rich information through RadioVIS and DAB slideshow.

RadioTAG is the other sub-standard we’re very interested in, as it offers a means of interaction. For that reason we have asked a company that does a lot of our development in this field, PluxBox, to participate in the upcoming “Radio Hack” at EBU’s Digital Radio Summit in Geneva. we’re hoping they will come up with interesting and practical ideas for employing RadioTAG.

NPO is looking forward to working with all of you to advance the RadioDNS standards to something that really makes Hybrid Radio something “tangible” for our listeners.

 

Walter Huijten – NPO Radio

 

The 6th RadioDNS General Assembly is being held on 12 February 2013 from 13.00 – 15.30 (local time) and will be kindly hosted by the EBU in Geneva during their Digital Radio Week (details here).

Anyone is welcome to attend the General Assembly but only members can vote, and we have to give preference to members if we run out of space in the room. You can also join by telephone conference call/webinar.

Please see here for more details on how to register.

RadioDNS and IMDA collaborate to launch Hybrid Radio EPG
LAS VEGAS – 10th January 2013

Today at CES, Radio DNS and the IMDA introduced the Hybrid Radio EPG, a one format fits all, trusted data source for up to date information on the radio.

Collaborating together, RadioDNS and the IMDA (Internet Media Device Alliance) have aligned the RadioEPG XSI and the IMDA SI to create the Hybrid Radio EPG. Aiming for ETSI standardisation, this specification will provide simplicity and certainty for broadcasters and manufacturers alike.

For broadcasters, the Hybrid Radio EPG should be almost identical to current metadata they make available in the existing standards that form the basis for DAB, DRM, HD Radio or Radioplayer.

For manufacturers, it is likely that the Hybrid Radio EPG is simpler to parse and use, and that code re-use should be possible from existing applications.

For providers of internet only streams or on demand content, the Hybrid Radio EPG will be a convenient way to describe their services.

— ENDS —

Caroline Brindle, Project Co-ordinator | caroline.brindle@radiodns.org | +441600 888335 | radiodns,org
Claudia Jablonski, Program Manager | press@imdalliance.org | +1 646 244 3161 | imdalliance.org
Notes to editors:

*RadioDNS is open technology that lets broadcast radio and the internet work together: enhancing the listener experience, and making radio better.
* RadioDNS is a not-for-profit international association, providing the RadioDNS service and support to broadcasters and device manufacturers wishing to use the technology.
* The project has 25 members from the United States, Europe and Australia, and over 60 supporters, with over 1500 stations currently using the technology
* RadioDNS works equally across FM and HD Radio, and the DAB/DAB+ digital radio standards used elsewhere in the world.
* The project was started in 2008, and formally established in March 2010.

2012 has been a great year for RadioDNS – our membership has grown, more stations are broadcasting our services, and we’ve been talking to more broadcasters who want to implement our open technology.

We were delighted when the BBC announced earlier this year that RadioVIS was to be launched across all national stations in the UK on FM and DAB. Have a look at George Wright’s blog for the BBC here.

Our member ARD – the association of German public-service broadcasters, also announced their launch of RadioVIS across 68 of their member stations, covering over 35 million people across the majority of Germany on DAB+.

Both of these announcements generated great interest at IBC, where we demonstrated RadioDNS content at the EBU stand. We collated all the tweets that RadioDNS got over the duration of the show – take a look here.

Interest in the project has been steadily growing in the United States. RadioDNS had booths at the NAB Radioshow in Dallas, and the NAB Show in Las Vegas where we were honoured to receive the 2012 NAB Technology Award for the RadioTAG Working Group.

Radioplayer’s prototype of a hybrid radio has generated lots of discussion, and RadioDNS was really pleased to be a part of this. Mike Hill demonstrates the radio working here. Mike also  talks about hybrid radio in the BBC Radio 5Live Radio Review 2012, scheduled to be broadcast tonight at 23:00 GMT and on Christmas Day at 16:00 GMT –  more details here.

2013 looks set to be another busy and successful year for the project and its members, supporters and users. We’ll be making an announcement about a new development at CES in January, and exhibiting again at the NAB show in Vegas. We’ll also be participating in a Hybrid Radio panel at Radiodays 2013 and demonstrating some great examples of the technology. We’re planning many more conferences and events throughout the year, keep an eye on our news page for all the latest info.

Our General Assembly will be on 12th February 2013, kindly hosted by the EBU during their annual Digital Radio Week and we look forward to seeing our members there. If you’re not a member but would like to  attend, space permitting, we’ll be posting details of registration here shortly. RadioDNS will also be participating in the RadioHack Days again, more information will be posted shortly.

We’d like to thank all our members and supporters for a fantastic year – we couldn’t be more proud of your achievements, and we look forward to working with you next year.