The ITU Radiocommunication Assembly considering a) that there is an interest shown by some countries, in a sound-broadcasting service covering a fairly large area with the same programme, and giving adequate quality at all times when using portable and vehicular receivers; b) that such a service cannot always be provided economically by terrestrial networks but might be feasible by satellite systems; c) that because of the levels of power flux-density required for reception by portable and vehicular receivers sharing with terrestrial services could be difficult; d) that advanced digital modulation and coding systems with low power flux-density requirements and improved sharing capabilities have been successfully demonstrated; e) that different source coding rates can be used for broadcasting-satellite service (BSS) (sound) systems depending on the sound quality needed; f) that the World Administrative Radio Conference for Dealing with Frequency Allocations in Certain Parts of the Spectrum (Málaga-Torremolinos, 1992) (WARC-92) allocated frequencies to the BSS (sound) and to complementary terrestrial broadcasting in the bands 1 452-1 492 MHz, 2 310-2 360 MHz, and 2 535-2 655 MHz for digital sound broadcasting to portable and vehicular receivers; g) that Resolution 528 (WARC-92) resolved that a competent conference be convened by the ITU preferably not later than 1998 for the planning of BSS (sound) in the bands allocated for this service and calls upon the Radiocommunication Study Groups to conduct the necessary preparatory studies.