Earlier this month, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) floated a consultation paper on issues related to digital radio broadcasting in India, inviting comments from stakeholders that can be submitted by 4 September. Trai, which has suo motu decided to take up the cause of digital radio broadcasting, claims in the consultation paper that analogue terrestrial radio broadcasting, when compared with digital mode, is “inefficient and suffers with operational restrictions”. On the face of it, a proposed switch to digital radio seems like a progressive move. This is the single biggest disadvantage of digital radio,” says Prashant Panday, chief executive officer at Radio Mirchi, the FM radio brand of the Times Group. And to counter the competition analogue FM radio is facing from emerging technologies such as webcasting, podcasting, music streaming sites/apps.

Source: Mint July 26, 2017 20:03 UTC