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

[Alan Coote]

Hi Jaqui,

I think it's imperative that we find a more suitable primary digital medium
than DAB or even DAB+. I couldn't agree more that DAB is not a viable
platform for Community Radio, but a vacant FM band of commercial stations as
you imply, would leave the remaining Community Radio station in a very
precarious position. 

If commercial stations where to vacate leaving it largely free for Community
Radio, then there would ultimately be little economic reason to maintain the
band. Ofcom's policy is to maximise revenue from spectrum auctions and it's
probable that this band would make many millions of pounds. The conclusion
therefore is that Community Radio could collapse though lack of other
spectrum and be in a much worse situation than it is now.

Given DABs extremely long gestation period and the continued exodus, it's
clear that commercial broadcasters are increasingly finding it difficult to
justify. Add to this the many other means of transmission, Internet, Digital
TV, Mobile Phone, WiFi, WiMax etc, then the technical costs are a very
significant burden to all commercial broadcasters and impossible for
Community Radio.

The radio manufactures don't have it any better either. They have a
significant problem providing, what you refer to as hybrids receivers,
capable of working across many of the above mediums at a reasonable cost.
Put simply, the more receptions modes a radio has the more it will cost.

This proliferation of technologies is in fact working against Radio at the
moment from all sides, broadcasters, radio manufactures and importantly the
public. 

I therefore believe that it is in the interest of all to define a clear
primary medium for radio broadcasting where access is not prohibitive,
radios are inexpensive and the public have a choice of advanced features
from quality stations both community, local and national. 

Looking to the future, I suggest that other many countries may have already
taken the lead in evaluating or indeed licensing both FM and AM bands for
dual digital and analogue purposes. It would therefore not be unreasonable
for the UK to follow suit. As has already been mentioned DRM and DRM+ are,
within Europe at least, the most likely candidates.


Regards
Alan Coote
Managing Director
The Bay (Poole)




-----Original Message-----
From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
[mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Jaqui Devereux
Sent: 13 March 2008 11:41
To: 'CMA-L'
Subject: [cma-l] Digital Radio Working Group - we need your views!

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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