[cma-l] House of Commons debates, 28/11/13: Mix 96 (Digital Radio Switchover)

[CMA-L]

++ Cheryl Gillan (Chesham and Amersham, Conservative)

As the Minister knows, we now use new technology even in the Chamber.
I have just received a tweet which says:

“Please mention community radio who have no chance of affording
digital transmission costs…never mind the listener.”

Perhaps the Minister could take up that point.

++ Edward Vaizey (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Culture,
Communications and Creative Industries), Business, Innovation and
Skills; Wantage, Conservative)

This is almost unheard of, but I have left my mobile phone in my
office, so I have not been able to keep up with those who have been
tweeting on the debate. However, I advise the tweeter who tweeted to
use a piece of old technology called the ear to listen to what I have
to say.

I have already mentioned community radio about eight times today. I
have said again and again that I am a fan of both community and local
independent commercial radio. It is incredibly difficult to run a
successful local independent radio station. The people who run them
are not rolling in money, or printing money; even those who run local
commercial stations are almost running a community service. I met a
man who runs one of those stations in Manchester, and he said that he
found it tough going. I recently visited a community radio station in
Swindon, which is supported by hundreds of volunteers and which makes
a huge and vital contribution to the community there. I give equal
weight to community radio and local commercial radio in my search for
a solution.The key is the FM antenna, which those radio stations will
have because they broadcast on FM, along with the ability to use
software to convert it to a digital antenna.

Hansard Source:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131128/debtext/131128-0004.htm#131128-0004.htm_spnew46

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