Frontier Silicon pushes on digital Touch Radio

LONDON — Frontier Silicon (Watford, England) has outlined further details of its touch screen user interface DAB radio, dubbed "Touch Radio" that it previewed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.

The company, which already provides technology to manufacturers including Pure, Roberts, Sony and many others, said it is in talks with several leading broadcasters and manufacturers about adopting the system, known internally as Advanced DAB.

Its roll-out comes as penetration of DAB radios in the year continues to rise, with ageing analogue broadcasting systems switched off in Switzerland and ahead of the fresh launch of DAB+ in Australia.

Touch Radio offers access to an electronic program guide; slideshow depicting station imagery and ID; tag and store information on featured products via interactive advertising; and the possibility to watch real-time traffic information and receive updates on public transport.

It is expected to launch early 2010 and cost $199.00.

Details of the "Touch Radio" systems coincide with a government study – Digital Britain – oyr later this week that is expected to recommend the migration of UK radio broadcasting to fully digital distribution.

Anthony Sethill, Chief Executive of Frontier Silicon, said: "The Touch Radio is the next step in digital radio platforms and visual experience. The technology and enhanced user functionality is just as big a leap from analogue to digital radio, if not bigger, and allows us to truly map out the future of DAB radio."

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