[cma-l] Local radio stations frozen out.

Wed Jan 13 16:22:50 GMT 2010

I  raised the issue at meetings of the DAB Forum of the need to ensure that all DAB receivers should continue to have FM as well. Encouragingly the MD of Roberts Radio told me that he could see no reason to drop FM for the foreseeable future as his customers wanted it (not just for CR but also for BBC and commercial radio FM fill-ins in rural areas which will still be needed as DAB can never give the high percentage coverage now provided by FM). Mind you plenty of people still want MW and LW too but these are unusual now.....

It would be nice if this could be written into law somewhere but this is extremely unlikely as it would be "interfering with the market". However, failing to provide FM could be seen as discrimination against people living in areas with no DAB.

Another issue is the real attitude of the BBC (as opposed to their Official Government Facing "position"). Anyone who attended the final DAB Forum meeting will probably recall the horror in the face of the senior BBC rep when it was suggested that R1 to R4 should all migrate exclusively to DAB along with the major commercial stations. He could hardly speak but admitted that internal estimates were that they would lose millions of listeners!

Clive Glover

On 13 Jan 2010, at 13:25, Julian Mellor wrote:

> Inclined to agree on that.  I think digital swtichover will be the death of local radio.  As soon as the Beeb and national commercial broadcasters switch to digital, anyone buying a radio will be pushed to digital only.  You can imagine the scenario in Currys/Dixons/wherever "FM? Oh no, that's not used anymore, what you need is this great all singing DAB radio blah blah"  Quite quickly local residents will be telling community stations "sorry, I can't get you on my new radio" and that, dear listeners, will be the end of us!
> 
> 
> 
> On 13 Jan 2010, at 13:07, Ian Hickling wrote:
> 
>>  
>> This is yet another example of the uninformed misleading the unaware.
>> There is no "Digital Switchover" for radio.
>> There is no need for "Digital Switchover" for radio.
>> There is little demand from smaller operators for "Digital Switchover" for radio.
>>  
>> Why don't these people talk to those in the know before they sound off?
>>  
>> Ian Hickling
>> Partner
>> transplan UK
>>  
>>  
>> > From: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
>> > Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:28:52 +0000
>> > To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk; comradio-l at commedia.org.uk
>> > Subject: [cma-l] Local radio stations frozen out of digital switchover debate, says MP
>> > 
>> > Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/13/local-radio-digital-switchover
>> > 
>> > John Plunkett, Wednesday 13 January 2010
>> > 
>> > Future of more than 100 local stations uncertain, claims Liberal
>> > Democrats' Alistair Carmichael
>> > 
>> > Local radio stations fear they are being frozen out of the digital
>> > radio switchover debate, with the future of more than 100 of them
>> > still uncertain, an MP has warned.
>> > 
>> > Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat spokesman on Scotland and
>> > Northern Ireland, led a debate about the government's plans for the
>> > future of local radio in Westminster Hall in the House of Commons
>> > yesterday.
>> > 
>> > "There are a lot of radio providers who feel there voice hasn't been
>> > heard yet," he told MediaGuardian.co.uk.
>> > 
>> > "There has to be some sort of mechanic for getting people rounding the
>> > table and letting them have their say. That's not to say that we can
>> > always give them what they want – the nature of government is that you
>> > have to make hard choices and you can't please everyone – but it's
>> > important for people to feel that their views are being heard."
>> > 
>> > Carmichael said there was "widespread concern" from small independent
>> > stations that the digital economy bill would leave them facing an
>> > uneven playing field.
>> > 
>> > "Over 100 local stations still do not have a clear digital migration
>> > path and are likely to be consigned to an uncertain future on the
>> > analogue spectrum once digital switchover has occurred. It is
>> > important the government addresses this matter before committing to
>> > analogue switch-off."
>> > 
>> > Carmichael said he had been inundated with responses from the industry
>> > which he said was split into two opposing camps on the issue, and
>> > warned that small radio operators still felt that their voices were
>> > not being heard.
>> > 
>> > "The response I got was absolutely fascinating," he said.
>> > 
>> > "I have had about an inch of briefings from different radio companies
>> > and pressure groups from around the country. They are all either
>> > telling me that this is a pointless debate and everything is hunky
>> > dory, or they are saying that this is the end of local radio as we
>> > know it. There doesn't seem to be an awful lot in between."
>> > 
>> > According to proposals in the digital economy bill currently going
>> > through parliament, the radio switchover process could begin as early
>> > as 2015. But the two-year timetable will only begin when digital
>> > accounts for more than 50% of all radio listening. It currently
>> > accounts for 21.1%, with the majority on digital audio broadcasting
>> > (DAB) radio.
>> > 
>> > The radio industry is divided over how quickly it should switch to
>> > digital. Its industry body, the RadioCentre, and Global Radio, which
>> > owns Heart and Classic FM, reacted positively to the mooted 2015 date,
>> > assuming listening targets are met. TalkSport, which split with the
>> > RadioCentre over the issue, has said the 2015 target is a non-starter.
>> > 
>> > "My main concern is how you actually roll out DAB provision in a way
>> > that gets to all those hard to reach parts of the country," Carmichael
>> > added.
>> > 
>> > "What is the government doing about moving to DAB+, and will the
>> > market be structured in such a way that you can maintain proper local
>> > radio which is not concentrated in the hands of two big players
>> > [Global Radio and Bauer Media]?
>> > 
>> > "Local radio has a real role to play in providing and maintaining a
>> > focus and identity for local communities."
>> > 
>> > There is currently no DAB multiplex in Carmichael's constituency of
>> > Orkney and Shetland, which has two commercial radio stations, although
>> > Orkney has been included on a list of regions which may get it, he
>> > said.
>> > 
>> > \\
>> > 
>> > Community Media Association
>> > -- 
>> > http://www.commedia.org.uk/
>> > http://twitter.com/community_media
>> > http://photo365.commedia.org.uk
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > 
>> > cma-l mailing list - cma-l at commedia.org.uk
>> > 
>> > Community Media Association - www.commedia.org.uk
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > 
>> > To manage your mailing list subscription please visit:
>> > http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
>> cma-l mailing list - cma-l at commedia.org.uk
>> 
>> Community Media Association - www.commedia.org.uk
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
>> To manage your mailing list subscription please visit:
>> http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> cma-l mailing list - cma-l at commedia.org.uk
> 
> Community Media Association - www.commedia.org.uk
> _______________________________________________
> 
> To manage your mailing list subscription please visit:
> http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/pipermail/cma-l/attachments/20100113/2ad17706/attachment.html>