Countdown to Digital
The ability to legally download music heard on the radio is tipped to be key feature of digital radio for music stations, however, the real key to making digital radio work will be getting car companies on board, according to a recent Australian IT article:
WITH a little more than a year to go before the legislated switch-on of digital radio, the industry is preparing to deliver what it believes will be a new listening experience for audiences. Listeners will be able to legally download music they're tuned in to.
Youth radio station Nova has an early version of this, so listeners can go its website and see what tracks have been played and download and purchase those songs through Apple's iTunes online music store.
The types of services [Commercial Radio Australia chief executive Joan ] Warner talks about emerging include a talk sports radio channel displaying the latest results, and images of the highlights of an event, or a music station creating stations targeted at specific audiences such as youth, classic and female.
Warner says it will only be after digital radio is switched on next January 1 and audiences start tuning in that broadcasters will be able to properly tailor their offerings and see what works and what doesn't. However, communications analyst Paul Budde says the date it is switched on is irrelevant, as the radio medium has already been superseded by MP3 players and podcasting.
In Europe, car manufacturers install digital radios in luxury cars and broadcast their own radio networks, and without support from local car manufacturers digital radio is doomed to failure, Budde says.
"The real benefits of digital radio are far more in the car, such as listening to the news when you want.
"Most of the applications in Europe are based on car radios, so unless they get the car manufacturers on board, everything else is unimportant," he says.
Read the full article Digital Radio On The Move by Mahesh Sharma
Compassion Australia would like to extend its deepest gratitude to all the participating radio stations and the Australian Christian Channel for their involvement and support of Compassion Day 08. 
