[cma-l] Digital Radio Working Group - we need your views!

[Jaqui Devereux]

Dear all in community radio

The CMA is representing your interests on the Digital Radio Working 
Group set up following the second Future of Radio report.  Below are 
some questions posed to the group and we would really like your views on 
any or all of them to inform our written feedback to the group.  There 
is an initial deadline next Weds, but we will feed in anything you give 
us even after that date.  The initial CMA response is that: DAB is not 
the right technology for community radio, technically or financially; 
that rather than talk of switchover or switch off all the national 
broadcasters should migrate as one to a suitable digital platform that 
(by that time) is of sufficient quality and is universally available 
throughout the UK; that anything less than universal coverage would not 
acceptable; that in the meantime we need a hybrid solution, keeping 
analogue FM for community radio; that the manufacturers should be 
persuaded to start making and selling hybrid and future proofed radios 
now rather than continuing with DAB only radios.

Please let me know what you think.

Best wishes

Jaqui

1	Consequences of failure of DAB market:

•	Would damage radio industry badly?
•	Would kill off any prospect of change to a digital platform for years
•	Other platforms (internet, I-phone) cannot replicate radio sufficiently
•	FM cannot perform rewind, storage and interaction

2	What might switchover mean? Would it drive digital growth? How can we 
achieve a form of switchover? What 		         conditions/criteria are 
needed?

•	What is your vision of a “hybrid” or mixed solution?
•	How do we provide enough digital capacity for all local and community 
stations? Should we?
•	Should we boost individual station quality before extending choice?
•	How do we persuade car manufacturers to put FM/digital receivers in 
their cars? Do we need a European      standard? If so, what might it be?
•	One s/o proposal –
-	a clear majority of people (in listening hours) are using digital
-	a majority of homes have digital receiver(s)
-	a majority of new cars have digital receiver
-	90% of population are covered by digital
-	80% of country (geographically) is covered
-	Analogue commercial revenues are less than transmission costs
This might be achieved (without further intervention) by 2015/17: at 
that point Govt could announce a five year switchoff (?) of AM and FM 
for national services.
What is your view of this scenario?
•	What is the cost of extending coverage to most of the other 20% of 
country? How is this to be funded? What are implications for Scotland 
and Wales?

3.	How do we encourage a migration to digital? What public or private 
initiatives are needed?
•	a plan for fitting cars with digital receivers
•	exclusive digital content
•	co-ordinated marketing and promotion
•	upgrading of networks/ improve listening quality
•	affordable smart receivers
•	reorganisation of commercial licences and muxes
•	consolidation of ownership
•	subsidise receivers and/or transmission (eg the Ofgem analogy in energy)
•	subsidise a revised DRDB

What is your view of any/all of these suggestions?

	





-- 
Jaqui Devereux

Acting Director
Community Media Association

15 Paternoster Row
Sheffield
S1 2BX

+44 114 279 5219


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