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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>An interesting development in Glasgow where the
commercial owner of the small-scale DAB trial licence is looking for
someone willing to pay above the odds for the final 128k to cover the projected
losses on their trial DAB multiplex. </FONT><FONT size=2 face=Tahoma>As reported
in <A
href="http://radiotoday.co.uk/2015/08/small-scale-dab-operator-to-auction-space">Radio
Today</A>:</FONT></DIV>
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<P
style="WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 14px/22px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(54,54,54); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px"><STRONG
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 15px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Scrimshaws ID, owners of
Glasgow’s small-scale DAB multiplex, is auctioning off space to the highest
bidder.</STRONG><SPAN id=more-194858></SPAN></P>
<P
style="WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 14px/22px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(54,54,54); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">The
company, led by Spencer Pryor, says it is trying to populate the final 128k
stereo spot and hopes that by offering it to the highest bidder, it can cover
its costs of operating the minimux.</P>
<P
style="WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 14px/22px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(54,54,54); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">Spencer
told RadioToday: “We have organised this trial on a nearly non-profit making
basis, however due to the ‘robustness’ of a quote for mast installation and
rigging by a well known industry company, we need to let one more slot of 128kbs
joint stereo to a station to avoid turning this venture into a loss making
venture!</P>
<P
style="WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 14px/22px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(54,54,54); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">“We
will also require the entire nine months transmission fees to be paid in
advance.”</P>
<P
style="WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 14px/22px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(54,54,54); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">However,
one radio station operator, who is involved in another minimux, has slammed the
decision to take it to auction, telling RadioToday: “I think it’s an utter
disgrace. These are experimental licences and not cash cows for the multiplex
owners. Scrimshaws should be ashamed of themselves.”</P>
<P
style="WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 14px/22px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(54,54,54); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">In
response, MD Spencer Pryor defended the move: “These trial licences are not cash
cows; more like money pits. As we are using commercial masts and sites for our
two transmitter SFN network we have some very high costs passed onto us for
installation and mast rentals in order for us to make the coverage as good as
possible across Glasgow.</P>
<P
style="WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 14px/22px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(54,54,54); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">“We
are not just sticking the transmitters on top of the nearest available tower
blocks. Also, in our case, we are bearing the costs of the telecom circuits and
not Ofcom, so that’s a couple of grand straight off”.</P>
<P
style="WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 14px/22px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(54,54,54); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">He
continued: “Half of the stations are paying £100 a month or less for carriage on
the multiplex, and the out and out commercial stations are not paying much more
than that. The auction for the last remaining spot that we want to offer on the
mux is just an economic experiment to see where the level of interest and demand
lies. It also makes the process visibly transparent. Who knows, maybe no-one
will bid! I could just as easily have stuck a pin into my email box and one of
the dozens of applicant stations would have been a lucky winner. At the end of
the day whatever the auction winner pays it is still going to be 95% less than
the local conglomerate owned MUX.”</P>
<P
style="WIDOWS: 1; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(255,255,255); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 14px/22px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; COLOR: rgb(54,54,54); WORD-SPACING: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">Closing
date for the auction will be 17th August 2015, and further details can be found
at<SPAN class=Apple-converted-space> </SPAN><A
style="OUTLINE-STYLE: none !important; OUTLINE-COLOR: invert !important; OUTLINE-WIDTH: medium !important; COLOR: rgb(0,136,204); TEXT-DECORATION: none; transition: color 0.2s linear"
href="http://www.callsid.co.uk/" target=_blank>callsid.co.uk</A>.
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