[comradio-l] Community Radio using Medium Wave?

[Ian Hickling]

Jaqui

Why are we all seemingly accepting this madcap migration to digital?

Should the UK alone cease to use the FM band, what does HMG intend to do 
with it, considering that most other countries have no plans to cease 
its use?

Why are we wanting to throw away a perfectly feasible system which works 
reliably and has done so for some 50 years?

I see a parallel here with the railways.

Agreed that there is a need for better and cheaper technology which will 
offer radio receivers which provide FM and digital reception, but there 
are already commercial units out there in the car market at least.

The problem we have to face is that we made a mistake - not in 
pioneering DAB, but in pushing it too strongly and not anticipating the 
need for change.

The sensible future as I see it is that major networks migrate to DAB 
only, once suitable receivers are available.

Everyone else stays very comfortably on FM with more spectrum now available.

In parallel, we need to agree standards internationally what the next 
generation of terrestrial digital radio and ensure that receivers can 
accept LW/MW/FM/DAB and the new regime.

It really doesn't require rocket science to achieve that.

Ian Hickling
Transmission Director
transplan UK


>  ----- Original Message -----
>     From: Jaqui Devereux
>     To: Alan Coote
>     Cc: 'CMA-L' ; comradio-l at commedia.org.uk
>     Sent: 04 July 2008 09:43
>     Subject: Re: [cma-l] [comradio-l] Community radio using medium wave
> 
>     Dear all
> 
>     Re the BBC and planned migration, this still not firmly decided and
>     there will be more DRWG work on this in the autumn, presumably our
>     favoured position would be that it does migrate all its national
>     services at the same time as national and large regional commercial
>     services?
> 
>     There is not really a "digital dividend" as with the UHF spectrum.
>     However, as things stand today, using DAB as the platform (rather than
>     more advanced Eureka 147 platforms) there is not enough room on the
>     multiplexes for all existing radio broadcasters (compression and all
>     that).  We must assume (and fight for?) that more advanced technologies
>     will eventually be adopted, in theory then making it possible for all
>     services including the community radio sector to migrate.  However,
>     there is still the question of AM Long Wave - in times of crisis (war,
>     floods etc) there would still need to be some form of emergency
>     broadcasting, so LW or solar powered digital?
> 
>     The DRWG is already discussing at length with manufacturers on producing
>     hybrid multi chip digital radios including FM as well.  This is
>     necessary so that the listener can "seamlessly" travel between digital
>     channels and FM channels.  Also, as there is no agreed European
>     standard, radios need to be Euro proof, both in car radio and portable.
>       There is also the possibility that in some more remote parts of the
>     UK, DAB will never be rolled out (bit like the last mile broadband
>     issue) so the BBC would continue to use FM in those places to maintain
>     universal reach?
> 
>     That is how things stand at the moment.  The CMA welcomes any views you
>     have on these or any other parts of the Interim Report (or anything else
>     for that matter), so keep the debate rolling...  The Final Report will
>     be produced late November.
> 
>     Best wishes
> 
>     Jaqui
> 
>     Jaqui Devereux
> 
>     Director
>     Community Media Association
> 
> 
>     Alan Coote wrote:
>     > Jaqui, et al,
>     >
>     > At the Radio Festival this week a question was raised about the BBC
>     > migrating its stations to DAB only in the same timeframe as proposed for the
>     > large commercial stations. This idea was dismissed by the BBC representative
>     > as doing so would cause a public outcry.
>     >
>     > Q1: Is it the case that post 2020 there will be only moderate amount more FM
>     > spectrum available as all BBC, small commercial and Community Radio will
>     > still be on FM?
>     >
>     > Q2: Is it true that without switching the small commercial and community
>     > radio stations off there will be no digital dividend?
>     >
>     > Q3: For those stations remaining on FM, to what extend are the DRWG
>     > considering ensuring manufactures include receivers for digital analogue
>     > hybrid technologies such as HD radio and DRM+ which would then permit
>     > community radio to also become digital stations?    
>     > 
>     > I'd appreciate your thoughts
>     >
>     > Regards
>     >
>     > Alan
>     > Alan Coote
>     > Managing Director
>     > The Bay Radio
>     >
>     > -----Original Message-----
>     > From: cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk
>     > [mailto:cma-l-bounces at mailman.commedia.org.uk] On Behalf Of Jaqui Devereux
>     > Sent: 03 July 2008 12:56
>     > To: 'CMA-L'; comradio-l at commedia.org.uk
>     > Subject: Re: [cma-l] [comradio-l] Community radio using medium wave
>     >
>     > Dear all
>     >
>     > The idea is (at present) that any stations on AM Medium Wave will get
>     > first refusal for freed up FM in their areas, regardless of BBC needs.
>     > On the other hand the DRWG might suggest that AM Medium Wave is NOT
>     > switched off.  It is not clear yet re Long Wave.  Re longer term, IF the
>     > criteria for setting a road map for the migration of all national and
>     > large regional stations are met, then for a significant amount of time
>     > FM would be retained for small local commercial and community radio
>     > stations, until the plan for their migration was completed.  That is the
>     > state of play at the moment in the DRWG.
>     >
>     > We at the CMA would welcome your views on this and other aspects of the
>     > interim report as we will be representing your views in the second phase
>     > of DRWG work, starting in August.  This will be the major opportunity to
>     > ensure the needs and views of the sector are included in the Final Report.
>     >
>     > I look forward to hearing from you.
>     >
>     > With best wishes
>     >
>     > Jaqui
>     >
> 
> 
>     -- 
>     Jaqui Devereux
> 
>     Director
>     Community Media Association
> 
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> 
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> 
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