Broadcast Electronics Announces First HD Radio System Sold into Europe

BE implementation of HD Radio technology overcomes Switzerland mountainous terrain and narrow frequency spacing to record first sale of technology in Europe   

 

Quincy, IL, USA − A watershed moment in HD Radio™ history took place this week when Broadcast Electronics (BE) announced the purchase of a BE HD Radio system by Swiss station 88 Radio Sunshine.

 

The purchase marks the first HD Radio system sold into Europe, and successfully concludes several months of HD Radio testing in mountainous Switzerland where FMs are spaced 100 kHz apart on the dial. The system was put into service in April, and was presented at HD Radio Days in Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 28 and 29 as the first public demonstration of HD Radio in Europe. At the event, participants from around the world experienced HD Radio under various conditions, including a trip through the topographically challenging Swiss Alps on a bus fitted with HD Radio.

 

“BE’s implementation of the HD Radio system easily met all our digital requirements, even exceeding technical expectations despite our mountainous coverage area,” said Markus Ruoss, principal owner of 88 Radio Sunshine, a private commercial radio station located in Lucerne, Switzerland.

 

Field-strength measurements of HD Radio broadcasts on Radio Sunshine exceeded acceptable levels, giving the station a green light to begin uninterrupted HD Radio broadcasts on its main and eventually some of its 12 boosters and translators in the region. Radio Sunshine is operating HD Radio broadcasting under voluntary status with the Switzerland Office for Communication (OFCOM). 

 

The economic advantages of being able to share HD Radio tuners marketed in the U.S. as well as continuing analog FM broadcasts after digital conversion appeal to the broadcaster, as well as other broadcasters in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

 

“We’re seeing a huge ripple affect that started with the U.S. adoption of HD Radio technology and is moving across the globe, mainly because this is a digital technology that works with existing analog radio. Broadcasters aren’t required to give up their current listeners to go digital,” said John Macdonald, BE Europe, Middle East and Africa Sales Manager.

 

BE is currently sponsoring testing of HD Radio in Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Thailand, Poland, France and elsewhere around the world.

 

"We applaud Broadcast Electronics for its continued role leading the global expansion of HD Radio broadcasting," said Robert Struble, President and CEO of iBiquity Digital Corporation, the developer and licensor of HD Radio technology. “The HD Radio system offers AM and FM broadcasters throughout the world an efficient means for upgrading to digital broadcasting without the costly requirement of additional spectrum. BE’s installation in Switzerland is just the start of HD Radio technology’s impact on broadcasting around the world.”

 

About Broadcast Electronics (www.bdcast.com)

 

Broadcast Electronics (BE) is the premier provider of mission-critical solutions for over-the-air and Internet radio. BE products encompass program generation, audio and data management, inter-facility transport, and analog and digital transmission. For more than four decades, BE pioneering developments have set industry standards for innovation and reliability, while providing broadcasters with new options for operational productivity and income generation. BE is headquartered in Quincy, Illinois, and is represented worldwide by a network of local representatives.

 
About Radio Sunshine (www.sunshine.ch) and Ruoss AG (www.RuossAG.ch) Ruoss AG is a well-known Swiss consulting and engineering company for CATV and electronic media, with more than 25 years’ experience in FM transmitters and networks. As the license holder of the HD Radio field trial and as the Radio Sunshine transmitter network operator, Ruoss AG has a close relationship with Radio Sunshine and also with the Association of Swiss Private Radio Stations (VSP), for which Markus Ruoss is a member of the board for technological development.

 

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™HD Radio is a trademark of iBiquity Digital Corporation.
All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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