TORONTO – Just as the City of Toronto gets set to ask wireless companies and their device manufacturers to work together so that smartphones can be FM radios, too, the Toronto-based North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) led a successful effort to gain international support for the activation of FM radio receivers in smartphones.
NABA submitted an “Opinion” on activating radio receivers in smartphones that was adopted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in March of 2017, the group announced Wednesday. Enabling the FM chip present in most smartphones would allow users convenient access to FM radio in times of emergency and natural disasters, say broadcasters and their supporters.
“ITU’s support is a result of focused, coordinated and steadfast effort by NABA’s radio committee and the FM chip working group comprised of members across Canada, Mexico and the United States,” said Michael McEwen, director-general, NABA, in the press release. “As broadcast industry leaders, we thank the ITU for the global support of FM enabled smartphones.”
The Official Opinion from the ITU states “that Report ITU-R BT.2299 provides a compilation of supporting evidence that terrestrial broadcasting plays a critically important role in disseminating information to the public in times of emergencies.” In addition, “…citizens of the world would benefit if manufacturers of mobile telephones, tablets, and similar devices as well as associated service providers would include and activate a broadcast radio tuner functionality in their products along with the appropriate applications to facilitate radio broadcasting reception,” reads the NABA release.
