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How to receive the radio
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There are many ways to receive radio, and the traditional radio set is still the most widespread means of listening to this medium, but there are other ways too. The development of DAB+ also supplies a new dimension to the radio medium in terms of quality.
DAB+: everything you need to know about digital terrestrial radio
DAB+(Digital Audio Broadcasting in English) saw a strong acceleration in 2018 under the impetus of the French Superior Audiovisual Council.
The equivalent for radio of what digital terrestrial television (DTT) was for television 15 years ago, this technology uses the terrestrial hertzian diffusion network and supplies major benefits to French listeners.
DAB+ is a digital radio modulation and transmission technology. Deployed in many European countries, it is particularly successful in the UK, Scandinavia (Norway) and Switzerland. This technology enables around thirteen radio services to be shown on the same frequency.
Unlike DTT for television, it has the advantage of being able to cohabit with radio's "traditional" broadcasting method, i.e. the FM band. In this way, digital terrestrial radio can work in tandem with FM diffusion, just as DTT quickly replaced analog television diffusion in France.
The benefits are manifold, both for listeners and for the radio stations themselves.
Digital terrestrial radio with DAB+ technology supplies better sound quality and much greater continuity of listeners in the car. This means that in mobile situations, reception quality will be much more stable. It will also be unnecessary to change frequencies from one geographical area to another. Arcom has granted broadcasting authorizations for diffusion on the main roads in mainland France, which will eventually enable listeners to listen to the radio of their choice without interruption over long distances.
Over and above these aspects of listening comfort, DAB+ also enables the arrival of new stations and contributes to strengthening the diversity of supply with new formats. DAB+ is also the ability to enrich the audio stream with digital visual data. As a result, radio use will be more complete and richer.
For radio stations themselves, DAB+ means they can share broadcasting costs, extend their coverage area, and become part of a more modern and therefore more survival-oriented ecosystem.
If you're interested in DAB+ and would like to gain a better understanding of its development and benefits, we can provide you with more information in our press release "A new impetus for DAB+: 12 keys to understanding the challenges".
As with DTT, your reception equipment must be compatible. While DAB+-compatible radios can receive FM signals, the reverse is not true. To receive digital radio, you'll need the right equipment. There are a wide range of DAB+ receivers available at very different prices, starting from a few dozen euros.
As of the end of 2019, all radio receivers sold in France, except car radios, will integrate DAB+. As of mid-2020, all new car radios sold in France will also include DAB+.
As with FM, DAB+ radio reception will of course remain totally free of charge.
Deployment is underway in mainland France. The Paris, Nice and Marseille regions have been covered since 2014, the Hauts-de-France, Greater Lyon and Alsace since 2018; in addition, a roadmap is in place for deployment in the main in mainland conurbations (Toulouse, Bordeaux, Rouen, Nantes, etc.) between 2019 and 2021. Over the same period, major highways will also be the focus of a major rollout.
DAB+ is a significant step forward for radio listeners and stations alike. New regions of France are regularly covered through an ambitious deployment program.
Hauts-de-France, for example, has had access to DAB+ since June 2018, and its inhabitants now have a choice of 51 DAB+ radio stations, 24 of which were not previously shown on the FM band. An official launch took place on June 19 at the CCI du Grand Lille: you can relive the video of this event celebrating the arrival of DAB+ radios.
Similar launches also took place in Greater Lyon and Alsace in December 2018, and will continue apace in 2019 and 2020.
The year 2020 will also mark preparations for the rollout of DAB+ in overseas France.
The summon for applications in mainland France launched in July 2018 has also met with strong interest from national theme and generalist radio stations, whether integrated into historic groups or independent.
Arcom is a key player in this implementation of digital terrestrial radio because, as with FM or DTT diffusion, it carries out upstream work on fine frequency planning and preparation of the technical conditions for DAB+ transmissions. Throughout the process, and in close liaison with all the players involved, it is also responsible for ensuring that DAB+ is deployed properly, in line with the legal and technical conditions laid down, and on schedule.
How to listen to the radio
The most common means of listening to the radio is via the 87.5-108 MHz frequency band, known as FM. France is one of the world's best-endowed FM countries, with almost 1,000 public and private operators operating nearly 8,500 frequencies, planned by Arcom, as well as 7 freeway radio services. In addition to monitoring diffusion authorizations, Arcom is constantly working to optimize the FM band.
In recent years, more and more French people have been able to receive digital terrestrial radio (or DAB+). This technology brings qualitative benefits for listeners and radio stations alike. Arcom is piloting this project in France, and is shaping the future landscape of digital radio in France.
Finally, most of the FM radios authorized by Arcom are available on the Internet. There are also a significant number of web radios in France, either registered with or licensed by Arcom.
Frequency modulation (FM) diffusion is the most common way of listening to radio in France.
In France
Today, France is one of the countries in the world with the most FM radio stations. Over 20% of these are community radio stations. The sheer number and diversity of these stations testifies to a balanced regulation system that takes great care to ensure a varied supply.
If we take into account all the stations, excluding motorway information networks, there are almost 8,500 FM frequencies planned by Arcom, used by private radio stations and three public companies: Radio France, France Télévisions (La 1ère) and France Médias Monde (RFI), all of which offer a very wide range of news programmes. The supply is rounded out by seven freeway radio services, whose programs are shown on a single frequency, 107.7 MHz.
The FM band
The frequency band most widely used for radio diffusion in France is 87.5 - 108 MHz. It's commonly summoned the "FM band" because of the modulation used to show radios.
Depending on location, the stations available are not always the same. Since the "liberation of the airwaves" in the 1980s, the radio landscape has been built up on a local scale to develop local players: not all transmitters show the same stations. However, listening to the same radio station during a journey can be facilitated by RDS.
As part of its mission to ensure optimum use of the spectrum, Arcom identifies new radioelectric resources (or "frequencies"), taking care not to interfere with frequencies already authorized. Invitations to tender are then issued, and any radio operator interested in the area concerned can apply for the frequency.
Over the past 15 years, the Conseil has carried out extensive work to optimize the FM band. Optimization work on the FM band has resulted in significant frequency gains, of the order of 35%.
Similar to the movement begun nearly 15 years ago in television with DTT, digital diffusion for radio media is developing under the worldwide DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) standard. In France, this technology, like FM and DTT, uses the terrestrial hertzian diffusion network. It is a great success in Scandinavia, but is also widely present in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands...
How do I receive DAB+?
As with DTT, you need equipment capable of receiving the digital signal. While an old radio set will still be able to receive FM stations, it will not be able to receive digital-quality stations. Conversely, DAB+-compatible sets can also receive FM waves.
The benefits of DAB+ compared with FM
For listeners :
- better sound quality ;
- better continuity of listeners on the move;
- potential arrival of new stations;
- enrichment of the audio stream with associated digital data.
For radios :
- mutualization of broadcasting costs, thanks to grouping on the same frequency within a multiplex;
- extension of the coverage area in a context of FM band saturation; national radio stations have the possibility of broadcasting over a coverage area comparable to that currently supplied by Waves, but at a lower cost;
- assurance of survival in the future all-Internet Protocol digital ecosystem, in synergy with 5G mobile networks (LTE technology).
DAB+ deployment since 2008
For several years now, the French Superior Audiovisual Council has been preparing the future landscape of digital terrestrial radio. In January 2013, the Council authorized DAB+ radio stations in Paris, Nice and Marseille. The launch took place on June 20, 2014. In December 2017, the Council adopted a roadmap that makes provision for the staggered rollout of DAB+ between 2018 and 2021 in the main metropolitan areas (Nantes, Lille, Lyon, Rouen, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Toulouse...) as well as on major highways.
Download the DAB+ rollout progress and the schedule of upcoming calls for tender
The "Radio Data System", or RDS, corresponds to digital data transmitted over the radio frequencies of the FM band, enabling receivers to display the name of the station being listened to, and to ensure continuity in listening to a station on the move by automatically shifting from one transmitter to another.
The RDS subcarrier
The FM signal of a radio service received on the frequency selected by the listener on his or her FM set (frequency between 87.5 and 108 MHz) can be made up of up to three components:
- the monophonic ("mono") audio component, sometimes the only component that an FM set is able to process when reception conditions are poor;
- the stereophonic ("stereo") audio component, which spatializes the sound (left-right) when used;
- the RDS component, also summoned the "RDS subcarrier".
The RDS subcarrier is a digital signal that is independent of, but inseparable from, the analog mono and possibly stereo signals of a radio service. Thus, a station authorized by the French Superior Audiovisual Council can demand the use of a subcarrier and show RDS data without disturbing the sound of its programs. However, only an FM station can use an RDS subcarrier associated with the station's frequency.
RDS features
The main RDS functions are
- 8-character radio name display;
- display of a list of frequencies corresponding to neighboring transmitters also showing the station currently being listened to;
- display of traffic news programmes.
Other functions have also been developed:
- display of messages up to 64 characters long on screens with more than two alphanumeric lines (e.g. the name of the title being shown on air);
- automatic (and temporary) shift from one station to audible traffic announcements shown by another radio station, in conjunction with the traffic news programme information transmission function;
- transmission of traffic status information.