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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>Possibly so James, but having looked at Google
translation of the original Swedish report, Christer Hederström's article in
English looked like a fair summary, and I was simply using it as
a way to get a reasonable translation of the story for CMA-L readers.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>The original report is written by the Swedish
Auditors Office, so as far as DAB in Sweden is concerned I expect it will
be presumed to be objective.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>Alex</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=james@cridland.net href="mailto:james@cridland.net">James
Cridland</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=tlr@gairloch.co.uk
href="mailto:tlr@gairloch.co.uk">tlr@gairloch.co.uk</A> ; <A
title=cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk
href="mailto:cma-l@mailman.commedia.org.uk">The Community Media Association
Discussion List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, April 20, 2015 10:43
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [cma-l] Norway to switch off
FM in 2017</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma></FONT><BR></DIV>
<P dir=ltr>Worthwhile remembering that Christer Hederstrom is a noted anti-DAB
campaigner. We have our own here - Grant Goddard or Steve Green, now mostly
quiet after the evidence appears to be pointing away from their views. The
publisher of Radio Today is also anti-DAB, so you probably won't get much
balance there.</P>
<P dir=ltr>In my report here - <A
href="https://media.info/radio/news/norway-to-switch-off-fm-go-dab-only-in-2017">https://media.info/radio/news/norway-to-switch-off-fm-go-dab-only-in-2017</A>
- I compare the Norwegian criteria for switch off with the UK criteria. In
short, we're not quite there yet. I also give my views about switchover.</P>
<P dir=ltr>Noted: community radio will continue on FM in Norway, even post
FM-switchoff. These stations are less than 5% of total radio listening; but
still worthwhile knowing.</P>
<P dir=ltr>James<BR></P><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Mon, 20 Apr 2015 10:36 <A
href="mailto:tlr@gairloch.co.uk">tlr@gairloch.co.uk</A> <<A
href="mailto:tlr@gairloch.co.uk">tlr@gairloch.co.uk</A>> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"
class=gmail_quote><U></U>
<DIV>
<DIV>Seems like Sweden is looking at it differently from Norway, or as Radio
Sweden put it <A
href="http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=4058&artikel=6141224"
target=_blank>Är DAB dåligt för radiolyssnaren?</A> </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV>For those without the benefit of Swedish, Radio Today has reported the
story in English: </DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>National Audit report devastating for DAB in Sweden</STRONG>
<BR>
<DIV>
<P>The proposed transition to (terrestrial) digital radio imply major risks
and will probably not be profitable for the society.<SPAN></SPAN></P>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 8px 0px 8px 8px; FLOAT: right"></DIV>
<P>The best choice is to retain the FM network, according to the national
auditor Margareta Åberg.</P>
<P>In the March 23 concluded consultation round by the Ministry of Culture
there were several decisive objections and thumbs down by qualified
institutions to the proposal for a transition to DAB 2016-2022. Together
with this subsequent independent analysis it is now probable that 20 years
of efforts to introduce DAB in Sweden will come to a definite end. The
extensive and critical report was this week presented to the Parliament by
Riksrevisionen (The National Audit Office).</P>
<P><EM>A short summary of the report: </EM></P>
<P><STRONG>1. The government is not properly prepared for a transition.
</STRONG><BR>In spite of several inquiries and studies the government has
not prepared a sufficient and solid case for a transition to digital radio.
The government has not analyzed a transition from a wider cost perspective
to society. The radio industry actors with their own interests in retaining
terrestrial radio have to a large extent themselves been able to define the
problems and to investigate and propose a possible transition.</P>
<P><STRONG>2. Listeners’ perspective is lacking. </STRONG><BR>A risk with a
transition to DAB+ is that the government will introduce a new standard for
radio listening which is not asked for neither needed by the listeners.
Replacing in-car radios will be a large and costly challenge as there will
be 3,6 milllion cars without a DAB+ receiver 2022.</P>
<P><STRONG>3. Technical assessments are inadequate. </STRONG><BR>There is a
risk that the geographical coverage for DAB+ after closing the FM network is
overestimated. Riksrevisionen says while it is important to maintain a
broadcast network which does not depend on Internet or mobile broadband the
FM network meets such demands. Being robust and in principle reaching all
citizens it meets the emergency alert requirements</P>
<P><STRONG>4. Economic aspects are ignored.</STRONG><BR>A transition to DAB+
is probably not economically profitable from a wider societal perspective
even after 50 years of operation. To abandon the FM band and transfer to
DAB+ implies that the government will leave a frequency space (Band II)
without any alternative use, On the other hand Band III will have a high
alternative value in the future (for television).</P>
<P>The audit is very extensive, starting in May 2014 in close cooperation
with the official institutions involved in the digital radio process; the
Ministry of Culture, the Telecom Authority, the Media Authority, Swedish
public radio and the state owned broadcast provider Teracom. Interviews have
also been made abroad; in Finland and Norway as well as with the EBU.
Economic and technical experts from major universities have also been
involved.</P>
<P><STRONG><EM>Christer Hederström is a Media Analyst in Stockholm,
Sweden</EM></STRONG></P><BR>
<CENTER></CENTER></DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://radiotoday.co.uk/tag/christer-hederstrom/"
target=_blank>Christer Hederström</A> <A
href="http://radiotoday.co.uk/tag/dab/" target=_blank>DAB</A> <A
href="http://radiotoday.co.uk/tag/sweden/" target=_blank>Sweden</A> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN><A
href="http://radiotoday.co.uk/2015/04/national-audit-devastating-for-dab-in-sweden/#"
target=_blank><SPAN></SPAN></A><SPAN>0</SPAN> </SPAN><SPAN><A
title="Comment on National Audit devastating for DAB in Sweden"
href="http://radiotoday.co.uk/2015/04/national-audit-devastating-for-dab-in-sweden/#comments"
target=_blank>7</A> </SPAN><SPAN>1659 </SPAN><SPAN>17 April, 2015
</SPAN><SPAN><A href="http://radiotoday.co.uk/category/int/"
target=_blank>International News</A> </SPAN><SPAN></SPAN></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 1px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0px"
type="cite">On 20 April 2015 at 08:44 CMA-L <<A
href="mailto:cma-l@commedia.org.uk"
target=_blank>cma-l@commedia.org.uk</A>> wrote: <BR><BR>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV>
<DIV>Within two years from now, the shutdown of national FM-networks
begins in Norway. The switchover will begin in the North and will be
implemented region by region. </DIV></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
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