Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu announced that they have switched to Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus (DAB+) technology for the first time in Turkey. Minister Uraloğlu stated that DAB+ is a technology that provides a clear sound experience free of interference and increases frequency efficiency with the capacity to host more than one radio channel on the same frequency. Uraloğlu stated that there are currently no free frequencies in Istanbul and said, “We have now eliminated this situation by starting DAB+ broadcasts. Thanks to this new technology, we will be able to provide 448 new frequencies according to the demands.”
Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu spoke at the Digital Radio Broadcasting Launch Ceremony on February 13, World Radio Broadcasters Day. Minister Uraloğlu stated that they had switched to Digital Audio Broadcasting Plus (DAB+) technology for the first time in Turkey and said, “We share with you the pride of starting a brand new era with Digital New Generation Radio broadcasting.”
“This Song Doesn’t End Here”
Uraloğlu, who began his speech by congratulating all radio broadcasters on World Radio Broadcasters Day, said, “Radio, which undoubtedly changed the outlook of millions of people on life, was one of the most important inventions of the 19th century. Turkey was also one of the first countries to meet radio. Our radio adventure, which started in 1927 in the basement of the Grand Post Office in Sirkeci, has continued uninterruptedly for 98 years.”
Uraloğlu, who recalled that after the first broadcast in 1927, radio broadcasts reached homes for the first time in 1932 with the establishment of wireless systems, continued his words as follows:
“From that day to the present, it has been a part of our lives, sometimes on the road to our country, sometimes accompanying us while doing housework or working in the garden. Radio broadcasts were transferred to the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation in 1964, and while they were initially just a means of entertainment, they began to undertake important roles such as developing culture and art and instilling national consciousness.”
Minister Uraloğlu, who mentioned the memories of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the veteran radio broadcaster Mehmet Akbay, also known as Gezegen Mehmet, in order to better explain the power of the radio, said, “During the period when our President was unfairly imprisoned in 1999, televisions were under the control of certain media groups, and Gezegen Mehmet brought together approximately 1 million people in Kazlıçeşme Square to support our President by using the power of the radio against this injustice.”
Uraloğlu, explaining that the concert was a kind of farewell concert for President Erdoğan, said, “The late İbrahim Erkal, Ferdi Tayfur, Ahmet Kaya, who were all present at that concert? Millions of people sent our President off to prison. While the newspapers of the time were writing headlines like ‘There Cannot Be Even a Mukhtar Anymore’, he made this slogan a talk of millions by saying ‘He May Not Be a Mukhtar But He Is the President of Hearts’ on his radio. The night before he went to prison, he invited our President on the Prayer Night Program on the radio over the phone. He convinced our President to release the album by playing the poem ‘This Song Does Not End Here’ from the poetry album our President recorded with his own voice at a record company before going to prison but did not release it, ‘Zandand Mehmet’e Mektup’e’. From all these, we understand very well how powerful and effective a media medium the radio is.”
Minister Uraloğlu, who also spoke about his own memories, said that they listened to the 1974 Cyprus Peace Operation on the radio and that radio, as a broadcasting medium that appealed to the ear, made a great contribution to the development of imagination. Minister Uraloğlu said, “Radio broadcasting, in a sense, supported imagination and allowed you to dream. In this sense, it really has a special place and I think this will never get old.”
DAB+ Delivers a Clear Sound Experience
Minister Uraloğlu emphasized that while communication and media channels are rapidly changing with the digitalization of the world, radio broadcasts are also affected by this change, and said, “Digital radio broadcasting (DAB) was discovered to obtain better sound quality and more channel capacity on the radio. However, these first attempts developed over time and became Digital New Generation Radio (DAB+).”
Energy Savings of 90 Percent
He stated that DAB+ is a technology that provides a clear sound experience free from interference and increases frequency efficiency with the capacity to host multiple radio channels on the same frequency, and included the following statements in his statement:
“It also enriches the listening experience by providing additional content such as text, images and live traffic information. Thanks to this, users can access not only music and speech, but also useful information. One of the most important advantages of DAB+ is its energy efficiency and sustainability compared to analogue systems. It can transmit 16 broadcasts with a single frequency and a single transmitter, and the total energy consumption is only 12,2 kilowatts. Analogue FM transmitters, on the other hand, use a separate frequency and transmitter for each broadcast. The total energy consumption for 16 broadcasts is 128 kilowatts.”
Uraloğlu, who explained that this situation provides 90 percent energy savings and significantly reduces carbon emissions, thus providing an environmentally friendly broadcasting opportunity, said, “In other words, while listeners have an enjoyable listening experience with rich content alternatives and clearer sound quality, broadcasters can use their resources more efficiently. Today, we are witnessing a new turning point in Turkey’s broadcasting and communication history by launching our DAB+ broadcasts.”
Minister Uraloğlu stated that this is not only a technological development but also an innovation that will deeply affect cultural and social life and said, “Of course, it is not a coincidence that we are taking such a big step in Çamlıca Tower, which is the highest tower in Europe with a height of 587 meters above sea level and can broadcast 100 FM radio from a single point.”
Istanbul Gained 448 New Frequencies with DAB+
Uraloğlu reminded that thanks to the Çamlıca Tower, which was put into service in 2018, Turkey has achieved a world first in the field of broadcasting with the capacity to broadcast 100 FM radios simultaneously from a communication tower for the first time in the world. He said, “Now, with DAB+ technology, we are experiencing the pride of being a part of this exciting change by implementing another innovation that will bring a new breath to our Radio Broadcasting and shape not only today but also the future, in our Çamlıca Tower.”
Uraloğlu, who emphasized that there are currently no free FM frequencies in Istanbul, said, “But now we have eliminated this situation by starting DAB+ broadcasts. Thanks to this new technology, we will be able to provide 448 new frequencies according to the demands. 12 of our radio channels, both public and private, are already starting service with this new technology. We believe that the number of our radio channels that want to benefit from this technology will increase exponentially, especially after our introduction ceremony today, thanks to the service quality and energy saving advantage it offers. We will have a crystal clear sound experience from the radio.”
DAB+ Will Also Be an Important Resource for Education
Stating that Digital New Generation Radio is not just a radio broadcasting technology, Uraloğlu stated that radio broadcasting has the potential to offer listeners more interactive and accessible content by integrating with the internet and mobile wireless technologies. Minister Uraloğlu also underlined that DAB+, with its advanced data services and versatile broadcast formats, could be an important tool for entertainment and education, not just a source of music and news in the future.
Minister Uraloğlu also stated that these developments will make digital new generation radio an indispensable player in the media world, and said, “In fact, DAB+ technology also provides many benefits in the defense industry. It is one of the most suitable technologies for passive radar systems thanks to its wide coverage area, stable broadcast flow and high data transmission capacity. At this point, I would like to state that we have started joint work with our defense industry stakeholders.”
15-Fold Improvement in Electromagnetic Field Value Achieved with Çamlıca Tower
Minister Uraloğlu, drawing attention to the fact that Çamlıca Tower was built in the shape of a tulip, stated that the tower eliminated 33 iron piles scattered around the Çamlıca hills and that it was a symbolic structure befitting Istanbul with its modern aesthetic design integrated with nature.
Uraloğlu, who stated that the tower has the title of being the highest tower in Europe with its 369 meters length and 587 meters above sea level and has a total of 49 floors, made a modern touch to the silhouette of Istanbul, said, “It offers the opportunity to watch the magnificent view of Istanbul, including the historical peninsula, Bosphorus Bridges, Çamlıca Mosque, and the Prince Islands from the observation terraces on the 39th and 40th floors. Today, our Çamlıca Tower has become the center of attention of local and foreign tourists, and has become a center of attraction that everyone who comes to the city definitely wants to visit. It is receiving an increasing flow of visitors every day and approximately 2.2 million people have visited since the day it was opened.”
Minister Uraloğlu, who also emphasized that Çamlıca Tower has another very important contribution that most people do not know, said, “We have reduced the electromagnetic field value emitted by the 33 removed antennas to one third of the European standard, thus providing a healthier life for the residents of the region. Thanks to Çamlıca Tower, we have reduced the electromagnetic field value measured in the region from 39 Volts/meter to 6 Volts/meter, even lowering it from the acceptable threshold value of 2,5 Volts/meter for the European Union. In other words, we have achieved an improvement of approximately 15 times.”
After his speech, Minister Uraloğlu gave the start of digital radio broadcasting by pressing the button. Uraloğlu said in his statement, “We are happy to have experienced this day together. I believe that radio broadcasting will continue continuously. May DAB+, which is much clearer, without interference, and transmits visuals along with sound, be beneficial for our country and our people.”
