[cma-l] Platform neutral radio sets

[Two Lochs Radio]

> The CMA will be working with the Radio Centre on a joint approach to
> push for multi-chip radio sets (including other European Eureka standard
> chips) so that the listener will be able to pick up all stations
> regardless of their transmission mechanisms.
>
> Hope that will help

Sadly, Jaqui, I don't think it will help, possibly the opposite. Unless it 
got the wholehearted support of the companies who dominate the consumer 
electronics industry, and that support was rapidly turned into reality 
across a range of products (pocket, portable, mobile phone, embedded, 
hi-fi), it will be of very limited benefit to consumers.

I think CMA should go into this very much with its eyes open: RadioCentre 
has a clear and public agenda to get the current Bill through Parliament to 
reduce regulation and increase profitability of local radio, and to allow 
the large players to migrate to digitial-only tranmission (aka 'digital 
radio switchover') as soon as it can. In doing which it is understandably 
pursuing the wellbeing of its dominant members (since UTV quit RadioCentre 
in protest at its stance, anyway).

At best, the multistandard radio would be a stop-gap job producing a few 
more expensive standalone sets from the likes of Roberts and Pure, but doing 
nothing for all the existing installed base of small cheap radios and 
embedded tuners (hi-fis, cellphones, cheap clock radios etc).

At worst, a cycnic might suggest the RadioCentre is interested in this 
primarily because it makes a tangible rebuttal device with which to ease the 
concerns of MPs and others who might otherwise flinch at the thought of the 
downsides of early digital switchover.

An even more cynical person might suggest that in getting CMA on board with 
this proposal, the RadioCentre has found a good mechanism for rendering CMA 
'platform neutral' as well, instead of vigorously pursuing its members' 
interests!

To be truly platform neutral means also supporting the various text, EPG, 
track naming and interactive features, rewind/pause options etc as far as 
practicable regardless of transmission technology - these are all perfectly 
feasible technically on existing FM broadcasts as well as DAB - don't let 
anyone tell you otherwise. Incidentally, will the 'regardless of 
transmission mechanism' also include AM and DRM (or even the US system)? Or 
will it be strictly European/Eureka?

Clearly in itself the 'world standard' radio is a nice goal (we used to have 
them in the 1960s!), but there are a lot of practical issues such as power 
consumption and raising the overall costs of radio sets for everyone. The 
consumer electronics market is dominated by the likes of Panasonic, Sony, LG 
Electronics, Toshiba, Samsung et al, but their scale of production is such 
that they usually prefer to mass produce items specific to one market's 
quirks to sell at lowest possible price, while also offering 
multistandard/multi-country devices at a significant price premium.

It's maybe a pity that the EU and EBU missed the boat on mandating a 
pan-European radio standard at the point where they had a window of 
opportunity - the sort of area where EU-driven harmonization could have 
delivered real consumer and radio industry benefit. But on the other hand, 
committees would probably still be debating the merits of different 
proposals, and trading agreements for deals on fish quotas or whatever!

Speaking purely personally, I think Ofcom and BERR have shown themselves 
really ineffective on this whole issue. The problems with DAB were clearly 
identified in the 1990s, and DAB+ saw the light of day 5 years ago, but the 
UK continued a headlong rush down the DAB dead-end, finding itself with an 
embarrassment of investment sunk in an underpowered inflexible and 
unfit-for-purpose system. (Just another typical national computing project, 
I guess!)

In return for agreeing and facilitating digital migration and commercial 
deregulation, they should be taking the bull by the horns and building in a 
timetable for DAB+, starting the roll-out in the current large DAB-unserved 
swathes of the UK and by the time it reaches the centres of population those 
super multi-standard receivers will be dominating the market place in time 
for FM diehards and eary adopters alike to jump fowards to a system fit for 
purpose.

Starting the ball rolling on this would be a much better use of the TV 
digital switchover slush fund surplus than using it to subsidize the ITV 
companies by paying for their news services in order to restore their 
profitability without wholly reneging on licence obligations that they 
signed up for without duress. At a recent Ofcom meeting, the Ofcom 
spokesperson for the IFN scheme said they did not like to call this a 
subsidy, but I say if it walks like a subsidy, talks like a subsidy, and 
smells like a subsidy, then ... join the dots)

Indeed also part of that massive fund surplus (£200m+ and climbing) could 
very sensibly be used to support the not-for-profit radio sector - either in 
maintaining its FM service and profile, or indeed in funding common carriage 
of local non-profits on local DAB multiplexes! That would be using the 
inadvertantly collected money for a purpose far closer to the purpose for 
which it was originally levied, than for subsidizing BT broadband expansion 
or ITV news production consortia, which are the proposed beneficiaries.

Alex

>
> Jaqui
> -- 
> Jaqui Devereux
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