[cma-l] Fwd: Ofcom to invite small scale DAB testers

[Clive Glover]

Sorry to put a dampener on this but OFCOM have told us they will NOT be providing equipment and period for experiment will be shorter than suggested in article. Our initial back of envelope costing is £5K plus for equipment but could be more in many locations, especially if you need more than one transmitter to cover designated area.

Worse -  if the experimental period is short and any subsequent decision to change the existing Broadcasting Act to allow this type of system takes (as usual) many months or even years, then the expenditure on equipment will be largely wasted (not least because the experimental areas and stations may not be awarded licenses in the end anyway).

The only way this will work is for someone - and OFCOM would be the most obvious, perhaps funded by DCMS - to purchase or lease equipment. If they thought about it they could probably get some funds from the Business Dept or the EU I suspect, doing what we all do in putting together grant applications for projects!  Maybe the CMA could take  a lead on pushing for this?

Clive Glover


On 14 Oct 2014, at 09:28, Richard Hilton wrote:

> I think the sector should put down a strong marker fairly early on that if there is to be a new multiplex structure for our not for profit sector we would expect the structure to be run on a not for profit basis. 
>  
> Richard
>  
> From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Richard Berry
> Sent: 14 October 2014 08:16
> To: martin at martinsteers.co.uk; The Community Media Association Discussion List; CMA Discussion List List
> Subject: Re: [cma-l] Fwd: Ofcom to invite small scale DAB testers
>  
> It was. He said they will supply the kit but broadcasters should sort out the sites, links etc. The impression I got was that they are mainly seeking community and commercial partners. The less good news from an earlier session on reusing blocks on low power was that to avoid interference you would need more than one site to cover a given area. It's certainly worth exploring 
>  
>  
> Quickly sent from a mobile. Hope I've not been auto-corrected.
> 
> 
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Martin Steers <martin at martinsteers.co.uk> 
> Date:13/10/2014 22:32 (GMT+00:00) 
> To: CMA Discussion List List <cma-l at commedia.org.uk> 
> Cc: 
> Subject: [cma-l] Fwd: Ofcom to invite small scale DAB testers
> 
>  
> Very Interesting!
>  
> http://radiotoday.co.uk/2014/10/ofcom-to-invite-small-scale-dab-testers/
>  
> Small-scale DAB is to get a boost as Ofcom prepares to licence a number of smaller multiplexes.
> 
> The regulator will launch a consultation next week inviting stations to be part of the test, which will give existing stations a chance to go on DAB for a nine month period.
> 
> Peter Davies, Director of Content Policy at Ofcom, speaking at the Tech Con event in Salford today, said: “There are around 150 small scale radio and 200 or more community radio stations and for them the existing multiplex structure just doesn’t work.
> 
> “We want to give those stations a chance to go digital, and we’d like to see community and commercial stations working together,” he said.
> 
> Peter started off his session by admitting that DAB has not been a good platform for small scale radio so far and this new consultation will take a look at the licence conditions and awards process.
> 
> Trials will be for nine months and ofcom will provide equipment but not operating and installation costs. Once a station has been awarded a trial, they will be expected to be on-air within 12 months.
> 
> More details will be released by Ofcom next week, when we’ll update this story.
> 
> Posted on Monday, October 13th, 2014 at 3:02 pm by Radio Today UK. 
>  
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