Digital radio roll out begins

DIGITAL radio broadcasts will begin in Paris, Nice and Marseille before the end of 2009, it has been announced.

The Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA), which oversees France's radio and TV broadcasting regulations said four new stations would be available nationally on digital frequencies.

These would be LCI Radio, RTL-L'Equipe, Europe 1 Sport and R20 (for young people).

Added to this will be private local operators with Radio Crooner, and Radio Mandarin in Paris and a host of local stations depending on the city.

The first broadcasts will take place in large zones surrounding the three cities instead of 19 different zones around the country as was originally planned.

Digital radio allows a clearer signal with better coverage and more stations to be broadcast.

However to listen you need to buy a digital radio which cost more than a traditional model.

No official changeover date has been set by the CSA for switching off current analogue radio broadcasts and digital operators will have to pay for transmission on both indefinitely.

The head of Skyrock, Pierre Bellanger, told Les Echos newspaper that the CSA had setup up the technology but had failed to produce a viable economic model.

The CSA is due to launch a six-week public consultation programme in June to find the best timetable of switching to digital.