[cma-l] Ofcom publishes applications for small scale DAB trials

[Two Lochs Radio]

Is that really why the trial was originated? Surely it was always intended to be for small commercial stations as much as community radio licensees. Introducing the consultation Ofcom said it was intended to address the fact that 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." The consultation also said explicitly that the preferred mix of stations on the trial multiplexes would be commercial plus community.

We are a small scale commercial station (in fact the smallest), and could very easily have set up a trial as we own and control two suitable transmission sites with readily available audio feeds at both, and a high level in-house IT expertise, but the trial ran the risk of leaving participants high and dry at the end of the trial with significant sunk expense and time, not to mention creating a listener expectation that they could not continue to meet at the end of the trial. For us of course the most sensible partner on the multiplexes would have been the BBC (since they don't have space on their own multiplexes for the Scottish national services). 

But I'm with certainly in hoping that the trial doesn't become dominated by commercial interests or ends up just being used by large stations to negotiate lower costs with their existing over-priced providers. I don't think Ofcom shoudl have offered a confidentiality option on the applications - that seems wholly inappropriate for a publicly funded trial of this nature.

Alex
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ian Hickling 
  To: Martin Steers ; Alan Coote 
  Cc: cma-l at mailman.commedia.org.uk 
  Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 1:08 PM
  Subject: [cma-l] Ofcom publishes applications for small scale DAB trials


  As the trial was originated to allow access to DAB for Community Radio Licensees, I for one will be highly disappointed and probably quite verbal if this is seen to be taken over by the commercial interests.
  Having been directly involved with 14 of the applicants and provided the technical input to their submissions, I have seen in the ones we have supported alone enough variety to cover the 10 available trial formats.
  But unreserved compliments to Martin James and Rashid Mustapha and their colleagues at Ofcom both for persevering with the initiative - and clearly generating an excellent response.
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