Eight state agencies have signed up with Thailand’s media regulator to trial digital radio, reports The Nation.

The deal follows last month’s announcement by The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) that digital radio would be rolled out fully in 2015.

Existing transmitter infrastructure belonging to the Armed Forces (Army/Navy/Air Force), National Police, Public Relations Department, Secretariat of the House of Representatives and main public broadcaster MCOT will be used in the test broadcasts.

The Nation reports that the trial will see how digital radio impacts analogue terrestrial TV broadcasts which broadcast on similar frequencies.

Officials see the digital radio roll-out taking place in tandem with the switch off of analogue TV frequencies, where a migration to digital is set to begin in April

NBTC is also keen to use the trials to raise awareness about digital radio before its full launch next year.

Between them, Thailand’s state agencies own hundreds of transmitter sites for FM and AM broadcasting.

Read the original report.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/First-step-towards-radio-digitalisation-30227053.html