[cma-l] Radio likely to switch to digital by 2020

[Clive Glover]

This really flies in the face of reality - assuming it is correct!

I have attended a couple of the wider DRWG meetings and it was  
absolutely clear that there is no practical technical solution for  
Community Radio and small commercial radio stations to migrate to DAB.  
The main reasons being that the DAB coverage areas are far too large  
in comparison with the existing coverage areas for such stations (for  
example Radio Verulam in St Albans covers around 130,000 population  
but our "local" DAB multiplex covers 1,800,000) and many smaller  
stations (CR and commercial) are in rural areas where there are not  
enough services to justify a DAB multiplex at all.

This then translates to money. We were offered space on the "local"  
multiplex by the operator but at a cost far exceeding our annual  
turnover for a pathetic low bitrate mono service. Unless there was to  
be some huge subsidy for each and every small scale radio broadcaster  
it simply can't be done.

And, unlike television, where it is assumed there are commercial  
operators queueing up to get their hands on the spectrum released once  
the analogue signals have been turned off, OFCOM and DCMS have  
admitted there are no such people waiting for Band II frequencies. So  
why not let the smaller stations stay on FM for as long as they want?  
If the BBC and national & regional commercial stations all go to DAB  
it will leave lots of extra frequencies for new CR (and pirate!)  
stations and there will already be an installed base of 100% of homes  
with FM receivers. Oh and lots of people will be complaining because  
their favourite BBC or commercial service has moved to the new-fangled  
digital radio... which is why the BBC won't just move R2, 3 & 4 to DAB  
only in a hurry.

If the discussions I heard are still valid I assume there is probably  
some small print within this report that says they are assuming some  
new miracle digital technology (like OFCOM's Universal Radio) will  
appear that will solve the technical problems by 2020!

Clive Glover


On 12 Dec 2008, at 10:44, CMA-L wrote:

> John Plunkett
> Friday 12 December 2008 09.14 GMT
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/12/digital-radio-radio
>
> The body set up by the government to secure the future of digital
> radio in the UK is expected to predict next week that switchover for
> the medium could be completed by 2020.
>
> Next week's final report by the Digital Radio Working Group comes at
> the end of a series of meetings, some of them vigorously debated,
> between representatives of commercial radio, the BBC, media regulator
> Ofcom, community radio and manufacturing and consumer groups,
> according to sources.
>
> The various parties were brought together by the government to map out
> a timetable for digital radio, which has been beset by uncertainty
> over the future of one of its key methods of delivery, digital audio
> broadcasting (DAB).
>
> But despite the setbacks - which saw Channel 4 pull the plug on its
> DAB ambitions and a host of digital stations shut down, including
> TheJazz, OneWord and Mojo - the DRWG is expected to say that the
> migration of most radio content to digital could be completed by 2020.
>
> This would reinforce the conclusions of the group's interim report,
> published in June, that recommended the establishment of a timetable
> for the migration of all UK radio from analogue to digital. DRWG said
> digital switchover should be completed between 2015 and 2020.
>
> However, the report is also expected to recognise that parts of the
> country will still not be able to receive a DAB signal even by 2020,
> so will stop short of a blanket analogue switch-off date like the 2012
> deadline set for terrestrial television.
>
> One of the key issues still to be resolved is who will pick up the
> bill for the improvements required to the DAB radio signal, and how to
> encourage car manufacturers to fit more dashboard digital radios.
>
> Ofcom is also likely to oversee a reorganisation of the way DAB
> multiplexes are organised on a local, regional and national level.
>
> One option would see the BBC's Asian Network, and possibly some other
> BBC services, move to commercial DAB multiplex, Digital One.
>
> The ill-fated second national commercial multiplex, which was awarded
> to now defunct Channel 4-led 4 Digital consortium, has yet to be
> re-advertised.
>
> DRWG's findings are expected to be a key part of communications
> minister Lord Carter's Digital Britain report next year.
>
> Speaking to the culture, media and sport committee on Wednesday,
> Carter said: "Radio can be received on mobile phones and through the
> television. Could you have digital radio without DAB? Yes, you
> probably could.
>
> "If we do want DAB, we need to push it along a bit or technology will
> drive it out."
>
> Community Media Association
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