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Agree with most of what you say Ian, but I'm not so sure regardign the options for smaller stations to migrate.
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That could work in less densely populated areas. There are areas such as our own in which there is no DAB service, so we could broadcast an isolated multiplex using the same sort of low-cost approach as in the recent Brighton experiment.
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An for other relatively low density areas where the existing DAB transmitters for an isolated pool (eg Inverness) a locla service could be inserted. There is off-the-shelf equipment for extracting the MPEG streams from a multiplex's ETI data stream, insert an additional programme service, and then recompose a composite stream (eg 2WCOM FlexNsert). As long as this is done for a group of transmitters that have no overlap with others on the single frequency network there are no difficulties.
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I think that even in denser areas such an approach could be used, because many have regionally separate commercial multiplexes, leaving the BBC one untouched. However for a simple solution the community station would have to appear across the commercial area, not just in its own locality.
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And at the end of the day, most regions still have completed unused DAB spectrum, so community stations could perfectly well be on a additional multiplex entirely independent of the existing major service multiplexes. That would allow for very low power localized multiplexes dedicated to community services and covering, say, a small town,
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The successful trial in Brighton shows the latter approach. It has been fully documented* even though it was just a private experiment by an Ofcom staffer with Ofcom's blessing under a non-operational development licence. It also incidentally demonstrated something that could be important for community broadcasters, which is that for DAB, as for FM, surprisingly good indoor coverage can be obtained by a very low power transmitter embedded in the middle of the service area (as is the usual requirement for CR) rather than a more powerful one at a peripheral site, which is the usual approach for major carriers. The experimental one got quite good coverage of Brighton, Hove and Southwick with under 500mW power into a 3-element Yagi.
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Where there's a will there's a way!
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Alex
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* http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/research/radio-research/Software-DAB-Research.pdf
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On 26 November 2013 at 11:58 Ian Hickling <transplanfm@hotmail.com> wrote:
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That's interesting phraseology -  written I would suspect by someone who isn't particularly familiar with the technology. 
<br /> "......committed to reserving part of the FM spectrum as a platform for local and community radio stations......"
<br /> That isn't what's needed - and what will be the function of the "other parts"?
<br /> "......for as long as it is needed......"
<br /> Defined by whose judgement - I wonder?
<br /> "......the potential options for smaller local stations to migrate to digital ......"
<br /> Only by a complete re-working of the present mux system - to which I suspect the big boys will continue to furiously object.
<br /> "......the lead up to and after a future switchover......"
<br /> Ah - but a switchover to what extent and by whom?
<br /> ".....software enabling low cost low power DAB transmissions....."
<br /> Nothing mew here - been around for at least 5 years.
<br /> ".......which has been successfully trialled in Brighton......."
<br /> Really? - Are we aware of what happened and the results?
<br /> Ian
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<hr />From: cma-l@commedia.org.uk
<br />Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2013 11:30:52 +0000
<br />To: cma-l@commedia.org.uk; comradio-l@commedia.org.uk
<br />Subject: [cma-l] Hansard Written Answers & Statements 25/11/13 - Digital Broadcasting: Radio Culture Media and Sport
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++ Greg Knight (East Yorkshire, Conservative)
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<br />To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department is intending to give to small local radio stations in connection with the introduction of digital broadcasting.
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<br />++ Edward Vaizey (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Culture, Communications and Creative Industries), Business, Innovation and Skills; Wantage, Conservative)
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<br />Government recognises the importance of local commercial radio stations to the communities they serve and is committed to reserving part of the FM spectrum as a platform for local and community radio stations, for as long as it is needed. My officials are also working with Ofcom to consider the potential options for smaller local stations to migrate to digital in the lead up to and after a future switchover. We are very encouraged by the recent research Ofcom has carried out on software enabling low cost low power DAB transmissions, which has been successfully trialled in Brighton.
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<br />Hansard Source:
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131125/text/131125w0006.htm#131125w0006.htm_wqn25">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm131125/text/131125w0006.htm#131125w0006.htm_wqn25</a>
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