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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">If we are talking about ITU-R BS 412-9
Planning Standards for Terrestrial FM sound broadcasting at VHF,
it dates from 12/1998 and incidentally, is a Recommendation. Of
course, we aren't far enough away from other countries to not
follow it. To take up an earlier point, the recent statements
about VHF no-go areas clearly needs to be challenged. For
example, Central Bedfordshire which is basically Bedford county
minus Luton and Bedford. Apart from the fact that it is a very
irregular area, it is some 30 km wide, well beyond the range of
the 5 km standard. From information available online, there are a
number of channel groups around 15 db/uV (60-45) in Biggleswade,
which is a relatively "hot" location. One wonders what "rules"
are being applied to generate these blanket exclusions.<br>
<br>
Regards, Tony Bailey<br>
<br>
On 27/09/14 17:18, Ian Hickling wrote:<br>
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<div dir="ltr">Alan - I don't recognise most of the scenario
you describe here as being the UK Regulation system that
we're working in today.</div>
<div dir="ltr">Protection Ratios set up by IBA and RA were
adopted by the ITU 50 years ago and are unlikely to change?<br>
Not really indicative of any positive progress then.</div>
<div dir="ltr">In my experience Ofcom doesn't do much on an
"ad hoc" basis - quite the opposite.</div>
<div dir="ltr">Commercial operators and indeed all licensed
broadcasters are more than adequately protected in technical
terms and all expect signal corruption on occasions when
it's caused by unavoidable atmospheric conditions.</div>
<div dir="ltr">Enhancement of coverage by any broadcaster is
not easy - and is approached by Ofcom on a low-priority and
individual merit basis - unless of course pressure is
brought to bear.</div>
<div dir="ltr">I would think we can all quote examples of that
apparently happening.</div>
<div dir="ltr">Commercial stations had power and frequency
allocated in exactly the same was as is used for Community
Radio - desired coverage against regional spectral
occupancy.</div>
<div dir="ltr">Standalone or mini-mux DAB is a long way off
and should not be offered as an excuse for not dealing with
the present and very real need for a seed-change in spectrum
manipulation for best efficiency.</div>
<div dir="ltr">There are scores of local stations out there
which are ready to go on air and around half of them will be
refused for what appear to be insecure and what we are told
are incontestable reasons.</div>
<div dir="ltr">This is not the form of Democracy that we
should expect from a UK Government and its Agencies.</div>
<div dir="ltr"><br>
<div>
<hr id="ecxstopSpelling">From: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:alan.coote@5digital.co.uk">alan.coote@5digital.co.uk</a><br>
To: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk">cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:info@a-bc.co.uk">info@a-bc.co.uk</a><br>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 14:06:28 +0100<br>
Subject: Re: [cma-l] Community Radio on AM<br>
<br>
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<div class="ecxWordSection1">
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
name="_MailEndCompose" target="_blank"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">The
FM protection ratios were set up using a specs’
based on the selectivity and sensitivity of radios
in the 60s. The IBA, Radio Authority and Ofcom
planned licences based on their analysis of
available frequencies using this spec’. It became
an ITU standard so is very unlikely to change.
</span></a></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">Fitting
new stations on an ad-hoc basis has the danger of
commercial operators being disadvantaged through
interference, however occasional. </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">Picking
up Nick’s point about Silk FM getting more power,
this has happened numerous times around the UK. It’s
because commercial stations are licenced to use a
preallocated and cleared frequency by Ofcom. Should
a licenced station make a case that either Ofcom’s
analysis was wrong, or over time the area has
changed, then Ofcom will need to reflect that by
permitting changes to the coverage.</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">This
is of course a totally different scenario from the
way community stations start life. </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">At
the end of the day Ofcom is full of people whose job
it is to run things by the rules. There is
absolutely no advantage to them doing otherwise. </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">In
my view a better baton to wave is for access to DAB
via standalone stations – here the rules aren’t even
set. </span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"> </span></p>
<div>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">Kind
Regards</span><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;"></span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D;">Alan</span></p>
<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
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<p class="ecxMsoNormal"><span
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href="http://www.letstalkbusinessonline.com/"
target="_blank"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";">Hear
Alan Every Week on Let’s Talk Business The UK’s
Premier Radio Programme For Current and Future
Entrepreneurs - Now Broadcast To 4.3 Million
People </span></a><span
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- </span><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:alan.coote@5digital.co.uk"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";">alan.coote@5digital.co.uk</span></a><span
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