[cma-l] Digital Radio Action Plan

[Clive Glover]

I - and several other CR representatives including Jaqui from the CMA - will be attending the "Digital Radio Stakeholders Group meeting next week in London. It is being hosted and run by the Business Department rather than the Culture Dept so that tells me it is now all about business...

Discussions will revolve around the "Digital Radio Action Plan" which is available online at http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7227.aspx

You will note that this is all about implementing the "digital switchover". There is no mention of Community Radio at all although there are a few references to retaining FM and specifying that all receivers should have FM as well as "digital". It is being driven by business, specifically receiver manufacturers and the large commercial radio groups.

I have already commented at length to the people running this, making three points:

1	The term "switchover" is inappropriate as the Government has made quite clear that FM will not be switched off, not least because they accept that Community Radio and other "small scale" services will remain on FM for the foreseeable future.

2	The term "digital" is being misused, probably deliberately, to confuse the public. Sometimes it means "DAB" but often it means a variety of digital platforms, especially when trying to set targets of a percentage of listeners "on digital" which would trigger the "switchover".

3	DAB is an obsolete 1980s technology which does what it was intended to do (provide a digital radio broadcasting system for national and large regional services) but no more and cannot be extended to provide local services at a reasonable cost. It has been superceded by a number of alternative and better systems and, no doubt, new ones will be developed in future. In contrast, FM is a cheap, proven and reliable system which is available to virtually 100% of the population already. Any new system will require listeners to purchase new equipment and this is not sensible in the current economic climate. 

I have also suggested that a change of government provides the opportunity to abandon DAB and blame the "switchover" policy on the last lot, highlighting the great savings possible for government, struggling commercial radio companies and, of course, the BBC. Unfortunately, this seems unlikely to happen and the DAB Titanic seems likely to sale on to its eventual doomed destination....

I am now very concerned that the people behind the push for "switchover" are now getting a very positive response from Government and seem very gung ho about moving forward on the Action Plan. We really need to tackle this now!

Clive Glover

Radio Verulam, St Albans
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