Simplicity and functionality. These are the two objectives of the new radio service on the powerbox which was presented today in one of the Forum Telecom rooms that was transformed into a living-room for the occasion. The project results from the partnership with the main Portuguese radio groups.  As of today, 15th March, the clients of TV Cabo’s digital service will have access to 13 Radio Stations: Antenas 1, 2 and 3, RDP Africa; Rádio Clube Português; Rádio Capital; Rádio Comercial; Cidade FM; Best Rock FM; Oxigénio; Marginal; Radar and Rádio Europa Lisboa.

Francisco Matos Chaves, responsible for the TV Cabo Multimedia Channel Management, shows the new service.

The main advantages of this partnership for TV Cabo are «the capacity of offering our digital service clients more contents, simultaneously creating more added value for the powerbox which has already rendered available a set of complementary services to TV channels: VOD, Guia TV, Multijogos, Multicamâras, Lusomundo Replay, amongst others», said Francisco Matos Chaves, responsible for the TV Cabo Multimedia Channel Management.

Pertaining to the possibility of making further partnerships with other radios, «I can assure you that we are already being contacted by radios interested in adhering to this offer and that we are analysing which should be added, bearing in mind the preferences of our clients», adds Francisco Matos Chaves.

Vera Pinto Pereira, Marketing Manager of TV Cabo

With this new service, TV Cabo’s intention is to get people «to listen to radio again in their living-room. Nowadays and according to some studies carried out, people practically only listen to radio in the car or at the office. People have stopped listening to radio in the living-room. The habit of listening to radio is not the same as some years ago and TV now keeps people company at home.  From now onwards the digital service clients can have there TV on with the sound of their favourite radio station», stated Vera Pinto Pereira, Marketing Manager of TV Cabo.

Partners

Rui Pêgo of the RDP Group

This new TV Cabo service resulted from a partnership with the main Radio Groups, who are all unanimous as to the advantages of listening to radio on television.

«The importance of this partnership for radio is vital as it allows radio to have yet another broadcasting platform. To date radio has been transmitted in FM medium wave and short wave.  From now onwards people will listen to it digitally through the powerbox. This is the first step for the integration of the means of communication. On the other hand, with this partnership, radio gains a place which it had lost. Radio comes back into our living-rooms after having been pushed out by television. This is yet another affirmation of radio’s vitality», said Rui Pêgo of the RDP Group.

Antonieta Lopes da Costa, of Rádio Europa Lisboa

According to Antonieta Lopes da Costa of Rádio Europa Lisboa, «with this partnership, this local radio station for the area of Lisbon will now be heard in the Azores, in the Algarve and in the Minho region. This is the main advantage that I see in this partnership with TV Cabo. On the other hand, as we are a very thematic radio station, this invitation is important because offer should be diversified and as we receive information from Paris every night, this is something that will attract more listeners».

According to Álvaro Covões of Lusocanal, «the main advantage of this partnership is essentially to take back radio into our living-rooms. Nowadays most people don’t even have a radio in their house.  With this new function afforded through the powerbox, you can listen to radio again».

Carlos Marques, Media Capital Rádio

«The first great advantage of this service is to bring the radio back into the living-room and to the comfort of our sofa. From our point of view, as we have already ventured on on-line radio, now we have the possibility of broadcasting radio through the TV Cabo platform. The quality of the sound is constant and is undoubtedly an advantage», enhanced Carlos Marques of Media Capital Rádios.

How the service functions

As in all updates of digital services, in order to access for the first time the radio service, the client must switch off and then switch on again so that this new service can become available.

To access one just needs to press the yellow key on the powerbox remote control and select Rádio. On the main screen you will find all the available radio stations. To choose one just move the cursor with the remote control arrows and confirm on OK.

Innovation continues to be one of TV Cabo’s bets and its main aim is quality and diversity of contents. The powerbox is increasingly an open door to the entertainment world.

In May 2005 the process for the exchange of analogical TV Boxes for powerbox digital decoders was started with Premium channel clients. This exchange process should be completed by mid 2006.