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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'>Our attention has been drawn to this consultation:<br><div><br><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 12pt;">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/analogue-commercial-radio-licence-renewal-consultation<br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16.3636360168457px; font-style: normal; background-color: transparent;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16.3636360168457px; font-style: normal; background-color: transparent;">I feel it is very important for the sector to take note and respond.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16.3636360168457px; font-style: normal; background-color: transparent;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16.3636360168457px; font-style: normal; background-color: transparent;">It appears to be based on the premise that from 2017 commercial stations will no longer require to be broadcasting on analogue platforms - which essentially means FM - and will voluntarily have moved over to digital formats - of which DAB would appear to offer the majority of take-up.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16.3636360168457px; font-style: normal; background-color: transparent;"><br></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16.3636360168457px; font-style: normal; background-color: transparent;">I would suggest that this proposal is flawed for several reasons:</div><div style="background-color: transparent;"><ul><li>DAB as it exists at present using the Eureka 147 algorithm does not offer a sufficiently wide or robust platform for long-term UK requirements.</li><li>DAB has very few adherents in the rest of the world and as such is not an International format.</li><li>Other than the large Groups which have a financial interest in doing so, very few commercial operators have migrated to DAB and appear to have no inclination to do so.</li><li>Despite the on-going publicity from those with a vested interest, the Consumer appears far from convinced that DAB as it stands is attractive enough to warrant cessation of FM services.</li><li>There is no logical argument - other than a blind desire to "go digital" - to cease the use of FM in the UK and no other major broadcast authorities world wide seem to show this desire.</li></ul><div><br></div><div>Ofcom should therefore be empowered to offer analogue licence renewal for at least a 5-year period to those broadcasters who wish to do so.</div><div><br></div><div>Ian Hickling</div><div>Partner</div><div>transplan UK</div><br></div></div></div> </div></body>
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