COMING ATTRACTIONS

Digital technology is coming to radio. A Japanese communications official said that Japan hopes to develop a digital radio system by 1992 with much higher fidelity than FM broadcasts. An official of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications said the digital signals will fully capture the sound quality of compact disc and digital audio tape players. Widespread commercial use of the medium would lead to replacement purchases of radio receivers, amplifiers, speakers and other audio gear, industry analysts said. Among those participating in the project are Japan’s NHK radio network, Sharp Corp., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. and Sony Corp. Several Western companies are involved as well: the Dutch electronics giant Philips and West Germany’s Grundig. Projected cost of the project: well over $200 million.