It's an interesting question to contemplate. An article from an Australian-based site (the country has Digitial Audio Broadcasting) argues that the new way of offering radio has saved the industry in several countries overseas, leading it to become more prosperous. That's because of the sheer increase in choices for listeners and advertisers. 

Meanwhile, back home in Canada, there are HD Radio rebroadcasters and a few extras. But it's nothing like it is in Europe or Down Under and the business is struggling here.

"The upgrade from the original DAB standard to DAB+ became the turning point. By enabling around 2.5 times more services within the same transmission bandwidth, and significantly reducing both establishment and operating costs, DAB+ provided the scale, flexibility and efficiency the industry needed. Two decades on, the results are clear: DAB+ has helped deliver a vibrant, expanding radio sector with more content, more listeners and stronger commercial performance."

Would that have worked here if the original CHUM attempt to try this system had actually caught on? It's impossible to say and clearly we'll never know. (Fair to note the linked article was written by someone whose business it is to promote DAB.)

Still, it's somewhat ironic to think that radio overseas - where they were once lucky to have had a few stations in the 1960s or early 1970s  - now have far more over-the-air choices than we have here. 

How DAB+ is reinvigorating Europe’s radio industry