It is now some 35 years since ${1\over 4}$ inch analog audio tape recording was introduced to the broadcasting and television industry. The ${1\over 4}$ inch analog type format, whether it be in its full track or ${1\over 2}$ track modes, has served the industry well, in fact; there are very few standards that have survived 35 years in the audio recording industry. That standard is now challenged by the R-DAT proposal; R-DAT being an acronym for Rotating Digital Audio Tape. In addition to potentially changing the industry's attitude to the inch analog tape format, the R-DAT format potentially challenges the tried and trusted NAB cassette. I would like to describe to you the current status of the R-DAT standard. While the 1983 worldwide DAT conference did not discuss the professional R-DAT standard there is little doubt that the professional standard will track very closely the consumer format that has been proposed.