Digital Radio in France: Mediamobile partners to offer innovative broadcast services for vehicles

The proposal submitted by “La Radio Numérique en Bande L” and Mediamobile offers new perspectives for listeners and radio stations alike

TISA Member Mediamobile is joining forces with non-profit organisation “La Radio Numérique en Bande L” to support its candidature for L-band Terrestrial Digital Radio in France. The organisation’s proposal is based on an innovative package of services and a new business model. Mediamobile is acting as the technical and commercial operator for this project.

Mediamobile, a subsidiary of TDF and whose shareholders include Renault and Vinci, is the leading operator of real-time traffic information services for motorists on FM radio broadcast and mobile networks, in France, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Poland.

Today, Mediamobile’s ambition is to be at the forefront of the shift to digital radio, featuring an innovative offer of services for listeners, extending well beyond ‘traditional’ radio content.

A rich and varied range of services

The success of digital radio will depend above all on providing services that appeal to users. The project submitted features two distinct offers designed to meet these expectations.

• The media bundle, including up to 30 radio stations, with better listening quality than FM radio. Users will be able to benefit from features such as catch-up radio, time shift (pausing a programme), searching for programmes by topic, and more besides. Digital technology opens up new possibilities, allowing compatible devices to display related data such as full programming schedules for stations, the title of a programme, a studio webcam, and so on. The media bundle also offers a “read while you drive”-package, with digitized articles from hardcopy newspapers and digital books using text-to-speech functionality.

• For its part, the mobility bundle will include a number of vital services for motorists and offer enhanced road safety by supplying real-time information on driving conditions, traffic alerts, road weather forecasts, fuel prices, and so on. Information geared more specifically to electric vehicles, such as the location and availability of charging stations, could also be broadcast.

Both packages will be elaborated in partnership with major radio broadcasters, print and publishing stakeholders, and recognised data providers.

In-car usage: the trigger for the massive uptake of digital radio

A recent survey by Médiamétrie/CSA has revealed that for a sizeable majority of listeners, 26% of radio listening time occurs in a vehicle.

“Being able to enjoy terrestrial digital radio in cars will be the real trigger for take-up in France,” says Michel Rénéric, CEO of Mediamobile. “Consumers who have gone digital in their car will naturally be keen to benefit from the same advantages back home,” he explains.
Mediamobile has developed relationships of trust with automotive manufacturers and OEMs. DAB technology has been already integrated into latest-generation vehicles, since digital radio has been deployed in several other European countries.

A proven business model

The question of which business model is right for the deployment of digital radio in France has long been a subject of lively debate. Existing proposals place the burden of financial risk and network costs on radio broadcasters, without giving them any prospect of additional revenue. This has acted as a brake on any further expansion of the medium to date.

The “La Radio Numérique en Bande L” submission adopts a totally different approach, putting forward an innovative business model for the media sector. The model is similar to the one that has already been successfully adopted for many years by Mediamobile in the automotive sector for terrestrial radio broadcast services of traffic information services.

The new business model places the responsibility for funding and network deployment on the distributor – in this case, Mediamobile. Automotive manufacturers can include access to the service in the retail price of the receiver. This one-off payment – equivalent to the price of a tank full of petrol – will be included in the equipment/car sales price and thus transparent for end customers. For consumer products the same principle applies. Service revenue will be shared between radio broadcasters, carmakers, equipment manufacturers and the distributor.

The decision of CSA (the French Broadcasting Authority) on L-band broadcast is expected in the autumn, with services commencing by late 2013.

For more information contacts Eric Le Yavanc or Virginie Foures.