[comradio-l] [cma-l] Future of FM in the UK

[Two Lochs Radio]

<<There are NO plans for the cessation of FM broadcasting in the UK!!>>

That's a rather a misleading way to put it, isn't it? There *are* plans to 
cease FM broadcasting for the majority of current large FM stations, which 
is by definition the majority of current FM listening - the Digital Economy 
Bill radio clauses are specifically to provide a framework for this to 
happen. And the Bill contains *no* criteria of the sort you suggest.

Of course that is not to say there will be no services left on FM, but if, 
for example, you are a Radio 2 or Radio 4 or Capital FM listener, then as 
far as you are concerned, there is most definitely a plan for cessation of 
FM service. On the other hand if you're a Celtic Music Radio Glasgow 
listener, there is not.

<<The Guardian does have an interest through GMG in talking about
"switchover" but the language really should be "migration" of the
national and large regional channels to digital>>

 I agree 'migration' is a much more appropriate term for the plans. GMG's 
interest is in more than just 'large regional' , but be fair to the 
Guardian, most of the article wasn't their words - they were largely quoting 
a Lords Committee report, and all credit to them for reporting it at all.

The migration criteria you listed, would be wide open to manipulation, but 
in any case they are *not* part of the Digital Economy Bill - they have no 
legal force and will be ignored to a greater or lesser extent. Many people 
have been misled into thinking that they are a legal requirement, but they 
are not. They were recommended in the final Digital Britain report but did 
not make it into the Bill.

Digital Radio UK (the promotional body for Digital Radio migration) says 
“The Government has stated that switchover will not happen until the 
majority of radio listening is to digital, and until anyone who can 
currently receive FM is able to receive digital radio”.

Think about that phrase "is able to receive digital radio". That's totally 
different from saying the coverage of the two must be identical. If I were 
in Fort William, I would be 'able to receive digital radio'. but I could not 
use it to listen to BBC Radio Scotland or Nevis Radio.

The RadioCentre (the ILR trade association, from which a large number of 
radio stations have deserted in protest at its prodigital stance) says 
“RadioCentre does not believe it is appropriate for the industry to be tied 
to any figures in primary legislation. This is a very inflexible mechanism 
against which to manage our industry going forwards”. In other words "we 
want to be able to move the goalposts more easily than that".

If the mooted criteria were rigorously apply to the letter, then there would 
never be a migration in the forseeable future since some aspects of the 
above are not feasible (eg no dropout in any valleys), so we have to assume 
they are intended to be applied a bit more pragmatically, in which case the 
floodgates are open for manipulation.

"50% listening via digital devices" presumably includes computers, TVs etc, 
not just radio sets, so the threshold may be more easily achieved than one 
might think. It is also wide open to what qualifies as listening and what 
does not (eg is it weekly reach, devices present int he household, or 
what?). Is listening to FM radio on a digital cellphone 'listening via a 
digital device'?

"that digital coverage is equivalent to the BBC's current FM reach" - just 
what does "equivalent" mean? Could be a wide range of things. For example, 
in our area, does it mean that all the same channels must be available over 
the same area, or does it mean that a national BBC multiplex must be present 
wherever there is currently BBC national FM coverage? On present plans 
mathcing reach cannot be achieved here because there is no 'reach' on DAB in 
the north-west for Radio Scotland or Radio nan Gaidheal.

But in any event, the criteria simply are *NOT* specified as requirements in 
the Digital economy Bill which provides the legal framework for digital 
migration and in clause 30 makes provision forthe Secretary of State to set 
a changeover date if he wants, but does not actually madate it.

Going back to the comment from Ian that started this thread, he is quite 
right that as far as community radio is concerned, there is no plan for 
digital switchover. But that's as far as it goes. There *is* a plan for 
digital switchover for the vast majority of current FM listening, and there 
are no meaningful legal criteria for when it can happen other than when the 
Secretary of State deems the time to be right.

Alex