Advanced Television

Greece adds digital radio

January 11, 2018

By Chris Forrester

Greek public broadcaster ERT has started test digital radio transmissions. ERT has added transmitters to its broadcast towers on Mt Ymittos which overlooks Athens.

Test transmissions will use DAB+ technology in frequency block 12C, although various bit-rates will be trialled. A bill regulating future digital radio frequencies has been recently introduced in the Greek parliament.

ERT is transmitting all 7 of its radio channels in DAB (Proto, Deytero, Trito, ERA Sport, Kosmos, Voice of Greece and its parliamentary audio channel ERA 7).

According to Greece’s Minister of Digital Policy:
– A new bill will be passed in January 2018, through parliament, for digital radio licensing.
– Greek Telecoms Authority (EETT) will license DAB+ network provider(s) by March 2018. ERT wants to be the main network provider (or part of it).
– Greek Radio – TV Council (ESR) will license DAB+ radio stations, hopefully in 2018.

Greece has no formal roadmap or strategy covering the eventual use of analogue frequencies, and any sort of rapid changeover, considering the economic challenges facing the country, is uncertain.

In September 2017 Greece’s Secretary General of Information and Communication, Lefteris Kretsos said in a debate on digital radio organised by 24 Media in Thessaloniki that Greece does have digital radio plans. The timetable, such as it is, proposes that in three months the digital frequency maps will be ready for Greece with licences given within 8 months, that is before the end of 2018.

Categories: Articles, Digital Radio