[cma-l] by the way

[James Cridland]

>
> Where I became all confused was the news that DAB was cheaper (did they
> mean for us or for Government?)(or both?)   which kinda went against what
> the discussions 12 months ago on this board where folk were bailing out
> because it was too expensive …… this type of stuff tends to confuse a mere
> insect like me.
>
You originally said that DAB was cheaper for "the country as a whole", and
that's right. It's cheaper for the BBC to broadcast ten stations nationally
on DAB than it is for them to broadcast ten stations on AM/FM nationwide.
The phrase I normally use is "cheaper per station for national
broadcasters", which is true.

When I worked at Virgin Radio, the price for national AM was more than the
price for DAB.

It's also much more expensive if you're a local broadcaster. You can't
broadcast to a small local area on DAB (yet); the multiplex areas are much
larger and have plenty of complex single-frequency-network nonsense that
bump the price up. And Arqiva's fees.

The Government doesn't pay to use spectrum. Even after FM switchover it
can't sell the FM spectrum because folks like you will still be using it. I
don't quite know why they're so keen on FM switchover, other than the BBC
will be in a worse position having considerably less of the available
spectrum than is currently the case.

As for the tweet from the no doubt anon person, if he or she wishes to
> relate to me as ‘the resident ranter’ I couldn’t give a flying cactus, I’m
> afraid to say that it’s all the ones who sit at the back and crawl under
> the seats who allow a lot of the nonsense to thrive. Standing up and being
> counted, making a point in a forthright and clear manner without beating
> about the bush does not constitute a rant.
>
You're right; if, of course, the rant is justified. And concise. ;)

//j
-- 

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