The Australian Communication and Media Authority says Adelaide has one of the highest levels of coverage in the nation – with well over 90% of the Adelaide population able to access digital radio.

Joan Warner, chief executive officer of Commercial Radio Australia says “Adelaide’s digital radio switch on is another landmark achievement for the industry in Australia following the successful commencement of DAB+ digital radio services in Perth and Melbourne”.

“The potential digital radio offers for AFL followers in Adelaide is very exciting. Adelaide Crows fans will be able to listen to the game on digital radio while scrolling text can provide other AFL team score updates and game statistics on screen or you will be able to pause and then rewind if you missed who kicked a goal - these are all possible with the new capabilities of digital radio,’ said Ms Warner.

Ms Warner said for the first week to 10 days the DAB+ broadcasts in Adelaide will be in interference test mode which means that the power will be lower at night while any interference is assessed.

“The digital radio switch on in Melbourne and Perth went very smoothly, traffic to our www.digitalradioplus.com.au website and our retailer partner websites has increased with listeners seeking more information about digital radio,” she said.

“The switch on of digital radio is a culmination of seven years work with the Federal Government, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, commercial broadcasters, the ABC and SBS, together with retailers and manufacturers of digital radios to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated switch on of a compelling new way of listening to radio,” said Ms Warner.

Digital radio is the radio you know and love plus new stations such as Austereo’s Radar and Pink Radio and DMG’s NovaNation and Koffee, digital quality sound and interference free reception, the ability to tune to the station by name, rather than frequency, and on some radios, the ability to pause and rewind a few minutes if you missed a song you like, plus scrolling news, sport and weather text and the capacity to transmit on screen on some receivers, a picture of a radio host, cover of a CD or a product picture.