EPISODE

2.5.4 Broadcasters survey: Summary

Survey of Broadcasters providing FM coverage of the Trans European Road Network - Summary

This short paper is intended to summarize the results of the EPISODE Project Survey carried out in Summer/Autumn 1996. This was a "snap shot" of the situation taken at that time, and may not reflect the exact situation now, in all cases because we are dealing with a fast moving situation.

1. Introduction

Two questionnaires were developed (see EPISODE 96/011 and EPISODE 96/012), to separately survey the Operational and Technical aspects of RDS-TMC knowledge in the Broadcast Sector. In each case, two sets of results were tabulated for easier reading as a paper, deliverable to the EC DG XIII (see EPISODE 97/005).

Questionnaires were sent to 28 Broadcasters; replies were not always easy to obtain, requiring second calls for a response. Whilst fully recognising the burden to busy Broadcasting Managers of completing questionnaires, it may be concluded that this level of response is indicative of the importance that RDS-TMC had risen to, at the time of the Survey. The EPISODE Project therefore felt it was necessary to develop the "TMC-Now!" Conference to allow the many obviously still unclear issues to be exposed more fully.

2. Technical Aspects of RDS-TMC

RDS has been implemented by many Broadcasters; about equally split into Static and Dynamic implementations, so only half have already experienced and have infrastructure capable of relatively easy adaptation to the needs of RDS-TMC. Nevertheless the data distribution infrastructures, particularly circuits from Broadcast Studio Centres to Transmitter sites do not look significantly incomplete. Perhaps then, the most difficult component, from a cost perspective, is in a few countries the upgrading of the infrastructure to support Dynamic RDS-TMC.

Questions 8 to 14 allowed us to assess the nature of the supposed national networks, and the broadcast coverage looks good, from a Trans European Road Network viewpoint. However we must not underestimate the work needed to add RDS-TMC: for example ARD/SDR have 86 transmitters, many of which need software modifications, Swiss transmitters number over 230; while ARD/NDR has 180 transmitters and so on. A very large number in total. Service availability is very good, typically 99% or better, 24 hrs/day.

There was a wide mixture of answers regarding regulatory issues, suggesting that this area is not yet fully developed, and therefore not well appreciated. In some cases the Broadcasters, Transmission Operators and National/Regional Regulators will need to debate the framework of Broadcast Regulation for RDS-TMC to be implemented as a new data service.

3. Operational Aspects of RDS-TMC

The number of Traffic and Travel Information reports, presently spoken, range from 10/20 per day to 400/500 per day. If nothing else, this represents a significant editorial load to ensure on-air compatibility of information, between RDS-TMC messages and continuing spoken messages or even teletext messages..

Many Broadcasters have "Traffic" studios with good links to/from Automobile Clubs, Police and

Road Authority control rooms. About half, will insist that the Traffic Information Centre (TIC) output is routed via their Broadcasting Centre, whereas half expect to make editorial agreements with the TIC (or other organisations) to allow TIC generated messages direct to "air".

There is a wide mixture of responses about plans for timescales for RDS-TMC: this really shows the need for more understanding amongst Traffic Broadcasters and Managers, hence the need for "TMC-Now!"

Legal, financial, technical and logistic reasons, all seem to be considered "hurdles to be jumped" before RDS-TMC can be implemented in the eyes of Broadcasting Operational respondents.

RDS-TMC implementation is, in some cases (FI and NL), to be fragmented away from the Broadcasters sphere of operations. This could be a problem when considering the on-air consistency between RDS-TMC messages and spoken TTI.

4. Overall Summary

All Broadcasters, who answered, have already implemented RDS in some form or another and most consider they already have enough or too much spoken TTI in their audio channels; so we conclude that RDS-TMC will be welcomed by them.

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