The EBU's 19th Euroradio Assembly is taking place in Tenerife this week, at the invitation of Radio Nacional de España. A packed programme is dealing with a broad spectrum of topics, including funding issues and the challenges and opportunites that accompany a more converged media landscape. In her welcome address, Media Director Annika Nyberg Frankenhaeuser said that, in the last year, radio has taken a more prominent position in the EBU, with the Euro-Chip campaign and the radio recommendation R 138 being just two examples of this.

Hybrid Radio demos

The EBU Technology & Innovation Department is at the Euroradio Assembly to present demonstrations of new radio technology based on the RadioDNS Hybrid Radio specifications. The demonstrations include visual radio, service following (allowing seamless switching between analogue and digital signals depending on availability) and radio tagging.

RadioTAG is the name of a new tagging feature enabling personalization of programme enrichment. The demo in Tenerife is a prototype implementation where programme elements can be tagged - or bookmarked - on a simple receiver without web browsing capabilities, and the tagged elements displayed later on a more advanced receiving platform, such as an Android tablet. Tagging could help to enable the listener to listen again, download podcasts, or access additional information about the content. It can also help the link to social media platforms and to music platforms such as Spotify.

EBU Technology & Innovation has created a set of tools for broadcasters to launch hybrid radio services, whether they are on FM or DAB/DAB+. An online platform is available, where broadcasters can very easily register their station and define simple visualization. This service is free but, for now, experimental. It is important that broadcasters activate hybrid radio for their station to break the 'chicken and egg' situation and help bring more receivers to the market.