[cma-l] Consultation on Renewal of Commercial Analogue Licences

[ROBERT TYLER]

Ian

Do you not Ofcom to re-advertise the licences so new people can apply for them?

Bob


________________________________
 From: Ian Hickling <transplanfm at hotmail.com>
To: "analoguerenewals at culture.gsi.gov.uk" <analoguerenewals at culture.gsi.gov.uk>; cma-l <cma-l at commedia.org.uk>; "ed.vaizey.mp at parliament.uk" <ed.vaizey.mp at parliament.uk> 
Sent: Friday, 14 November 2014, 9:56
Subject: [cma-l] Consultation on Renewal of Commercial Analogue Licences
 


 
Our attention has been drawn to this consultation:



https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/analogue-commercial-radio-licence-renewal-consultation


I feel it is very important for the sector to take note and respond.

It appears to be based on the premise that from 2017 commercial stations will no longer require to be broadcasting on analogue platforms - which essentially means FM - and will voluntarily have moved over to digital formats - of which DAB would appear to offer the majority of take-up.

I would suggest that this proposal is flawed for several reasons:
	* DAB as it exists at present using the Eureka 147 algorithm does not offer a sufficiently wide or robust platform for long-term UK requirements.
	* DAB has very few adherents in the rest of the world and as such is not an International format.
	* Other than the large Groups which have a financial interest in doing so, very few commercial operators have migrated to DAB and appear to have no inclination to do so.
	* Despite the on-going publicity from those with a vested interest, the Consumer appears far from convinced that DAB as it stands is attractive enough to warrant cessation of FM services.
	* There is no logical argument - other than a blind desire to "go digital" - to cease the use of FM in the UK and no other major broadcast authorities world wide seem to show this desire.

Ofcom should therefore be empowered to offer analogue licence renewal for at least a 5-year period to those broadcasters who wish to do so.

Ian Hickling
Partner
transplan UK

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