CRA RELEASE: More than 40 different radio stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide put rivalries aside and broadcast simultaneously to a combined potential audience of more than 8.5 million people this morning in a massive outside broadcast to promote digital radio.

The event billed as “Radio United” saw the highly competitive commercial sector broadcasting side by side with their commercial counterparts and public service broadcasters from 5.30 am to 9.00 am in the central city locations; Sydney - Martin Place, Melbourne - Federation Square, Brisbane - Reddacliff Place, Adelaide – Victoria Square and Perth – Forrest Place.

In a world first, the metropolitan commercial radio industry effectively road blocked Australian metropolitan radio at 7.40 am today, when they simultaneously broadcast a four minute audio piece featuring competing commercial breakfast show presenters in each market describing their most memorable radio moment or a moment they would like to hear in the future, over a re-working of the iconic Australian song, You’re The Voice.

Commercial Radio Australia chief executive officer Joan Warner said the aim of the Radio United outside broadcasts and the playing of the audio piece was to demonstrate the importance of radio in Australian listeners’ lives.

“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 Ms Warner.

Each city location had a digital radio “Listener Post” where digital radio manufacturers: Roberts, Sangean, Yamaha, iRiver, Bush, Revo, Grundig and Pure showcased a range of digital radios and enabled listeners to hear and see digital radio on a variety of different receivers.

The first screen based digital radio now available in Australia, the iRiver B30, was on display in each state and highlighted the new visual aspects of digital radio. A fully fitted out car showed how listeners can hear digital radio while driving with the Pure Highway digital radio adaptor.

Digital radio is free – all you need is a new digital receiver – no subscription fees or signing up, just tune in. Listeners can go to the website www.digitalradioplus.com.au and type in their postcode to see if they live in an area where they can receive digital radio or where they will be able to buy a digital radio. Alternatively, simply SMS your postcode to the mobile phone number 0409DRPLUS (0409 377 587) to find out if you can receive digital radio in your area.

To listen to the Radio United 7.40 am audio piece click below or on the Radio United 7.40 am audio link in the news ticker bar.

Sydney 7.40 audio, Melbourne 7.40 audio, Brisbane 7.40 audio, Adelaide 7.40 audio, Perth 7.40 audio, You're the Voice Song.

Download photographs of the event after 11.00 am at http://gallery.me.com/digitalradio1#100016

Scroll down for Radio United Fast Facts

For further information on digital radio visit: www.digitalradioplus.com.au

Media contacts Sydney - Melissa Fleming – 0417 499 529
Melbourne – Jenny Stevenson – 0402 214 039
Brisbane – Fleur Cole - 0433 161 523
Perth – Chantelle Edwards - 0411 492 299 Adelaide – Hannah Watkins – 0411 362 727

Radio United Fast Facts

• More than 40 radio stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth participated in the Radio United outside broadcast.

• Gorilla Super Digi sky writing featured over Martin Place in Sydney for the new Bill Caralis digital station now on air.

• More than 500 personnel in the five states worked on the event on the morning.

• 50 marquees were used across the five states to accommodate all the radio stations and Listener Posts.

• Hundreds of digital radios were given away to listeners who attended the outside broadcasts.

• Neilsen research figures for survey four 2009 show the average cumulative breakfast radio audience Monday to Friday in the five state capitals for all stations is 8,761,000 people.

• It took over 1000 emails and a few hundred phone calls, to nearly 50 metro radio stations to get the 130 breakfast show hosts to record about 3 minutes worth of audio (each) for the 7.40 am Radio United audio piece. Only about 5-10 seconds of each personality was used.

• To listen to the Radio United 7.40 am audio piece go to the www.digitalradioplus.com.au website and click on the 7.40 am Radio United audio ticker.

• 92% of all breakfast show presenters chose a memorable moment that they had said themselves, as their favourite radio moment for the 7.40 Radio United audio. David Bowie’s Space Oddity was the most memorable song and the deaths of Princess Diana and Elvis were the most recalled deaths.

• The creator of the 7.40 am audio piece is Ralph van Dijk, founder of radio specialist, Eardrum. Ralph is better known for his radio advertising work, including the very successful commercial radio on air brand campaign, featuring ‘That Radio Bloke’ Mark Mitchell. Ralph is available for interview in person in Sydney on site at the Radio United event or for other states, via phone on the morning on 0414 935 551 or at another pre arranged time.

• Emma-Louise Lobb, the 17-year-old Cairns songwriter who won commercial radio’s 2008 New Artists 2 Radio (NA2R) competition was chosen as the singer to record the song “You’re the Voice” used in the 7.40 am Radio United audio piece. Emma-Louise will be available for interviews on the day please contact her manager Vicki Gordon (0411 877 463).

• Of the 70 tracks that were considered, You’re the Voice was always a strong favourite. The idea that Radio is ‘The Voice’ is something every listener can relate to, and the line “This time we all can stand together” was a great sentiment for the Radio United event