RadioDNS is an organisation that promotes the use of open technology standards to enable hybrid radio. Hybrid radio combines broadcast radio and internet technologies to create a harmonised distribution technology. The core technology standard relies on the Domain Name System to allow a connected radio receiver to look up IP resources based on their broadcast parameters, such as the station identifier received within the broadcast signal. RadioDNS operates the root name server for the radiodns.org domain according to a published trust model. Although RadioDNS reserves the right to charge a small annual registration fee of USD10, this has never been charged and continues to be waived. The project is an open standard, initially created by a series of broadcasters and manufacturers.
History
RadioDNS was originally created as a collaborative project between Global Radio and the BBC, to investigate creating a mechanism for linking Broadcast Radio and IP delivered webservices. The concept was first presented to the WorldDMB Technical Committee in Munich in May 2008. Interest in the project grew, to the extent where it was necessary to formalise the project. The First General Meeting of RadioDNS was hosted by the European Broadcasting Union in Geneva in October 2009 The Second General Meeting of RadioDNS adopted the Statutes, Intellectual Rights Policy, Trust Model and Membership Process, and thus effectively established RadioDNS as a not-for-profit organisation. At the Seventh General Meeting, the Members unanimously voted to incorporate RadioDNS as a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in England and Wales. The company is jointly owned by its members, is governed by Articles and continues as not-for-profit entity. RadioDNS Limited holds the trademark registrations of the RadioDNS Logo and Words. In January 2015, the original technology standards were migrated to standards published by ETSI. RDNS01 became ETSI TS 103 270, and REPG01 was integrated into ETSI TS 102 818 v3.1.1.
Details
The standard supports several radio bearers including VHF/FM, DAB, HD Radio, DRM and AMSS. Using a standardised format, a fully qualified domain name is constructed and queried. This returns a CNAME record known as the "authoritative FQDN", which is a domain that represents the requested radio service. From this domain, SRV record lookups can be performed to verify the availability and location of various other applications that utilise RadioDNS. For example, an FM radio service is identified by its RDS parameters. To identify a radio service on 95.8 MHz with a country code of E1 and the PI codeC479, the following FQDN is constructed: 09580.c479.ce1.fm.radiodns.org Querying this domain returns a CNAME record: 09580.c479.ce1.fm.radiodns.org canonical name = rdns.musicradio.com. This CNAME record can then be used to look up SRV records that advertise the availability of applications based upon RadioDNS : _radiovis._tcp.rdns.musicradio.com service = 0 100 80 vis.musicradio.com.
Applications
The linking of broadcast media with IP, as RadioDNS enables, allows additional functionality on receivers. Service and Programme Information allows receivers to retrieve detailed metadata about radio services, programme schedules and on-demand audio. Visual Slideshow specifies how to provide visuals for radio broadcasts. Demonstrations have also been made of RadioVIS running on a mobile phone. Other examples being worked on by the RadioDNS project include RadioTAG, a way for a listener to request more information, or simply bookmark a place, in a live broadcast.
Implementations
RadioDNS standards have been implemented in a variety of connected radio devices and connected vehicles.
Domestic and Mobile Receivers
The Sensia, manufactured by PURE, is an example of a receiver with Visual Slideshow
Service and Programme Information can be transmitted as a data service on DAB Digital Radio, and can include the Fully Qualified Domain Name of each radio service. This avoids the need for a DNS registration. RadioText+ in RDS and DynamicLabel Plus in DAB already provide content type Programme.PROGRAMME.HOMEPAGE which allows radio stations to pass along their website address to receivers without the need for a DNS registration.
