<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Inclined to agree on that. I think digital swtichover will be the death of local radio. As soon as the Beeb and national commercial broadcasters switch to digital, anyone buying a radio will be pushed to digital only. You can imagine the scenario in Currys/Dixons/wherever "FM? Oh no, that's not used anymore, what you need is this great all singing DAB radio blah blah" Quite quickly local residents will be telling community stations "sorry, I can't get you on my new radio" and that, dear listeners, will be the end of us!<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On 13 Jan 2010, at 13:07, Ian Hickling wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div class="hmmessage" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; "> <br>This is yet another example of the uninformed misleading the unaware.<br>There is no "Digital Switchover" for radio.<br>There is no need for "Digital Switchover" for radio.<br>There is little demand from smaller operators for "Digital Switchover" for radio.<br> <br>Why don't these people talk to those in the know before they sound off?<br> <br>Ian Hickling<br>Partner<br>transplan UK<br> <br><hr id="null"> <br>> From:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:cma-l@commedia.org.uk">cma-l@commedia.org.uk</a><br>> Date: Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:28:52 +0000<br>> To:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:cma-l@commedia.org.uk">cma-l@commedia.org.uk</a>;<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:comradio-l@commedia.org.uk">comradio-l@commedia.org.uk</a><br>> Subject: [cma-l] Local radio stations frozen out of digital switchover debate, says MP<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Source:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/13/local-radio-digital-switchover">http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jan/13/local-radio-digital-switchover</a><br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> John Plunkett, Wednesday 13 January 2010<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Future of more than 100 local stations uncertain, claims Liberal<br>> Democrats' Alistair Carmichael<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Local radio stations fear they are being frozen out of the digital<br>> radio switchover debate, with the future of more than 100 of them<br>> still uncertain, an MP has warned.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat spokesman on Scotland and<br>> Northern Ireland, led a debate about the government's plans for the<br>> future of local radio in Westminster Hall in the House of Commons<br>> yesterday.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> "There are a lot of radio providers who feel there voice hasn't been<br>> heard yet," he told MediaGuardian.co.uk.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> "There has to be some sort of mechanic for getting people rounding the<br>> table and letting them have their say. That's not to say that we can<br>> always give them what they want – the nature of government is that you<br>> have to make hard choices and you can't please everyone – but it's<br>> important for people to feel that their views are being heard."<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Carmichael said there was "widespread concern" from small independent<br>> stations that the digital economy bill would leave them facing an<br>> uneven playing field.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> "Over 100 local stations still do not have a clear digital migration<br>> path and are likely to be consigned to an uncertain future on the<br>> analogue spectrum once digital switchover has occurred. It is<br>> important the government addresses this matter before committing to<br>> analogue switch-off."<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Carmichael said he had been inundated with responses from the industry<br>> which he said was split into two opposing camps on the issue, and<br>> warned that small radio operators still felt that their voices were<br>> not being heard.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> "The response I got was absolutely fascinating," he said.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> "I have had about an inch of briefings from different radio companies<br>> and pressure groups from around the country. They are all either<br>> telling me that this is a pointless debate and everything is hunky<br>> dory, or they are saying that this is the end of local radio as we<br>> know it. There doesn't seem to be an awful lot in between."<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> According to proposals in the digital economy bill currently going<br>> through parliament, the radio switchover process could begin as early<br>> as 2015. But the two-year timetable will only begin when digital<br>> accounts for more than 50% of all radio listening. It currently<br>> accounts for 21.1%, with the majority on digital audio broadcasting<br>> (DAB) radio.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> The radio industry is divided over how quickly it should switch to<br>> digital. Its industry body, the RadioCentre, and Global Radio, which<br>> owns Heart and Classic FM, reacted positively to the mooted 2015 date,<br>> assuming listening targets are met. TalkSport, which split with the<br>> RadioCentre over the issue, has said the 2015 target is a non-starter.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> "My main concern is how you actually roll out DAB provision in a way<br>> that gets to all those hard to reach parts of the country," Carmichael<br>> added.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> "What is the government doing about moving to DAB+, and will the<br>> market be structured in such a way that you can maintain proper local<br>> radio which is not concentrated in the hands of two big players<br>> [Global Radio and Bauer Media]?<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> "Local radio has a real role to play in providing and maintaining a<br>> focus and identity for local communities."<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> There is currently no DAB multiplex in Carmichael's constituency of<br>> Orkney and Shetland, which has two commercial radio stations, although<br>> Orkney has been included on a list of regions which may get it, he<br>> said.<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> \\<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Community Media Association<br>> --<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.commedia.org.uk/">http://www.commedia.org.uk/</a><br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://twitter.com/community_media">http://twitter.com/community_media</a><br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://photo365.commedia.org.uk">http://photo365.commedia.org.uk</a><br>> _______________________________________________<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> cma-l mailing list -<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:cma-l@commedia.org.uk">cma-l@commedia.org.uk</a><br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> Community Media Association -<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.commedia.org.uk">www.commedia.org.uk</a><br>> _______________________________________________<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>> To manage your mailing list subscription please visit:<br>><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l">http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l</a><br>_______________________________________________<br><br>cma-l mailing list -<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:cma-l@commedia.org.uk">cma-l@commedia.org.uk</a><br><br>Community Media Association -<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.commedia.org.uk">www.commedia.org.uk</a><br>_______________________________________________<br><br>To manage your mailing list subscription please visit:<br><a href="http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l">http://mailman.commedia.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/cma-l</a><br></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>