By Grant Shepherd

SYDNEY: Commuters were given a treat this morning as city centres around Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide were commandeered by the radio industry in a massive outside broadcast to jointly promote the benefits of digital radio.

With a combined total audience of more than 8.5 million people, Radio United took over the cities this morning from 5:30am to 9:00am, and rival stations across both AM and FM put their differences aside to celebrate the new revolution in radio.

The showpiece of the event was at 7:40am when the entire metropolitan commercial radio industry simultaneously broadcast a four minute audio piece featuring competing breakfast show presenters in each market describing their most memorable radio moment or a moment they would like to hear in the future.

Commercial Radio Australia CEO, Joan Warner, said that the aim of the event and the audio piece was to demonstrate the importance of the new medium.

“Competing broadcasters have come together today in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth to celebrate the start of digital radio in Australia.  The industry has united for this event and in the audio piece to illustrate the power of radio broadcasting and the effect it has on people,” said Warner.

In addition to all your favourite radio presenters, listener posts were also erected so consumers could play around and see firsthand all of the new digital radio devices from manufacturers like Pure, Bush, Revo, Grundig, Yamaha, iRiver, Sangean and Roberts.

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