All posts by Mark
Below are all of Mark's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
Trevor Harris:
Internet radio on the move isn't practical for most people because they have data caps on their mobiles. Some operators have unlimited data packages (e.g. Three) but there is no guarantee that these will remain in place.
The problems with community radio going digital have now been solved with the successful DAB mini-mux experiment held recently in Brighton. It will be possible for community and small-scale stations to transmit digital radio using DAB from one local transmitter at low cost. Every station can now find a home on DAB.
There are no DRM+ sets available and no proposals to use it in the UK. It's the Betamax of radio - technically it's fine but nobody wants to use it or manufacture the sets..
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Trevor Harris:
It's not really 18 years though is it? How many reasonably-priced DAB radios were there in 1996?
The first DAB portables were launched in 2002 (the same year that the BBC launched their extra stations). As a reasonably priced product available to most of the population DAB has been around for 11 years.
DAB accounts for 65% of all digital listening, and almost a quarter of all listening.
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andrewp: are you asking for Sunshine to disappear from the multiplex to leave you with just three stations? That seems a strange request.
Nobody is going to provide a digital-only local news & information service for Gloucestershire. Heart & The Breeze only provide it because Ofcom require it from FM stations.
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Trevor Harris:
"It is now clear that there is a large section of the commercial radio sector against it"
That isn't actually true though. Have a look at the list of the 80 stations - apart from Talksport they are operators of small-scale stations, which will be able to stay on FM anyway..
The large stations are mostly owned by Global & Bauer and they are not calling for a halt.
If you take Talksport out of it the stations listed have a small percentage of the commercial radio audience in total.
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Trevor Harris:
I would be interested to know the demographic breakdown of people who have time to post comments on the Guardian website on a workday afternoon.
I wonder what percentage are retired people (over 65) who have grown up without digital devices? Of course they are entitled to have their say but it isn't a fair cross-section of the public.
The recent Bath Go Digital trial was a survey of a fair cross-section of people (young, old and both sexes) and the results were very positive.
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"Ofcom has been bribing stations to go onto DAB with the threat of loosing thier FM frequancy."
This is nothing to do with Ofcom. The provision of the renewal of analogue licences in exchange for DAB carriage is included within primary legislation (the Broadcasting Act 1990 section 104A(4)(b) as amended by the 1996 Act).
Ofcom have to act within the law and it is not within their powers to be able to amend or abolish this statutory provision.
We already know that the switchover is years away - this isn't news. It won't happen before 2018 and it's more likely to be 2020.
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michael: DAB+ could be used today on the UK's current transmitters if there were enough compatible radios. It could be used to improve audio quality and broadcast all stations in stereo.
It's similar to Freeview HD - when enough people have the right equipment the broadcasters can transmit it, without any further technical adjustments to the transmitter network.
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JamesE:
FM isn't the highest quality service available for BBC Radio 3.
A 320kbps AAC version is available online.
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michael:
The rollout is not uncertain. The full MoU is published on the Department of Culture website.
It says that 90% coverage will be reached by 2017, and in the event of any switchover FM equivalent coverage will be needed before it happens. For North Devon that includes all of the national stations plus BBC Radio Devon & Heart.
The MoU will be legally binding on all of the signatories in the event of a positive decision on switchover on 16th December.
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Tuesday 29 October 2013 6:20PM
@ Trevor Harris
It went down in the third quarter of 2012 as well, and then went back up in the fourth quarter of 2012.
It could be a sampling error (as Mike says) or it could be related to people being out and about in cars during the summer, where most people only have access to FM/AM.
The fourth quarter will have a lot of bedroom/fireside listening, where everyone has access to digital devices.