All posts by Willie Bone
Below are all of Willie Bone's postings, with the most recent are at the bottom of the page.
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Freeview will not survive another 16 years | free and easy Wednesday 11 August 2021 10:48AM
Thornhill
Let's pretend that nothing will change for the exception of the platform of service delivery for Freeview. That is, replacing the traditional land based transmission kits carrying Freeview with telco owned transmission kits carrying 5G Broadcast. Telco regulations would have to dictate the carriage of 5G Broadcast programming.
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Read this: Digital Radio UK starts to promote DAB+ radio upgradWednesday 11 August 2021 12:01PM
Thornhill
Scotland may now be the poorest served UK nation for BBC regional DAB radio services, half the Scottish land mass has no local DAB multiplex signals to carry these services.
A get well plan to fix this problem is allowing a separate frequency block in Scotland for BBC National DAB with its superior signal coverage. Then upgrade all existing channels to DAB+ and add the regional services, with part time auxiliary secondary services for local opt outs.
This enhancement would also allow the Asian Network and Radio 4 Extra services to upgrade to stereo.
The fly in the ointment would be to convince the BBC in London that real broadcasting devolution can be a good idea!
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Read this: Digital Radio UK starts to promote DAB+ radio upgradFriday 13 August 2021 6:06PM
Thornhill
Chris.SE: Not disputing the issue about local DAB reception not-spots in the West Country, but stating half the landmass of Scotland is outwith the reception area of a local DAB multiplex and Scotland in size is approximately 34% percent of the entire size of the UK! Meaning, local DAB reception being a poor show in Scotland after a near generation of DAB transmitter roll out!
Anyway, I have already detailed on how BBC Scottish regional radio coverage could be improved by regional service carriage transfer from local DAB to BBC National DAB, albeit, it would require a separate frequency block.
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Digital tv and radio have enough carriage capacity to deliver all sorts of services, so good luck to new starters like Times Radio and GB News.
GB News has suffered a lot of flack about its output and has been pigeon-holed by some commentators as a hate propaganda station. Admittedly, I am not personally impressed with the former, but definitely don't agree with the latter!
The GB News perspective on life is no more harmful than reading agenda leading titles like The Daily Mail, The Daily Express or even The Morning Star. That stated, GB News programme output is not very exciting and is a reminder that good television doesn't come cheap!
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Chris.SE: I do foresee a gradual phase in of more and more internet based Freeview services as live tv viewing continues to decline over time. The Freeview EPG could gradually transfer over to a front window for Internet protocol service listings, giving a good impression that Freeview could also be a home for 4k-UHD viewing via app access!
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Householders ability to access 4k-UHD seems to be near mainstream as smart tv ownership is now a little over 60% percent. However, actual viewing in 4k-UHD may not become mainstream in the short term.
As an example, take Eurosport's coverage of the recent Tokyo Olympics 2020. Eurosport HD expanded channel choice from their established two services to around ten temporary services, but only one additional service was streamed in 4k-UHD, courtesy of the Eurosport app working in the background, prompted by pressing the red button on the Sky-Q remote control.
BBC coverage of the Olympics excluded 4k-UHD because it was too expensive to stream.
Potential complaints of the absence or lack of 4k-UHD coverage during the Olympics,seemed to be a non-issue and indicates that actual 4k-UHD viewing remains a niche market in the short term at least!
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Hello Troopers,
Any idea on the actual date, when the local DAB multiplexes in Cumbria launch?
I recently received a nice wee reply from CFM local commercial radio in Carlisle, they have no idea yet about launch date. CFM is one of the services to be carried in north and west Cumbria. CFM and the local multiplex to carry CFM are both owned by Bauer.
The multiplexes were originally planned to go live sometime in 2020, but deferred to 2021 due to Covid..
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Chris.SE: Thanks for the information.
Assuming both local DAB multiplexes are up and running in Cumbria by December. My area of Dumfries & Galloway region will benefit from the additional choice of DAB digital radio services. The Sandale transmitter is to power the Bauer multiplex signal at 5Kw.
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Up here in Scotland, there is no BBC local radio in the true sense, but have community opt out service areas from the regional BBC Radio Scotland network. Community opt out services per day have a modest duration time, ranging between 30 minutes in some areas to around two hours, especially in Orkney and Shetland.
Assuming 4G reception black spots will subsequently benefit from additional infill relay masts, especially in rural Scotland, podcasting these community services on BBC Sounds may be the future!
Who knows? The recent successful Orkney project of 5G Broadcast of BBC radio services, may supersede DAB radio multiplexes as a mainstream delivery platform by the end of this decade!
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Tuesday 9 June 2020 12:12AM
Every modern civilised country should include a public service broadcasting outfit for radio and television.
How it is should be paid for will be one of the main debates of the next UK government, for the BBC Royal Charter will expire on Hogmanay 2027.
My viewpoint is, the BBC is nationalised, so the taxpayer should fit the bill, like we do for the NHS, roads and railway infrastructure etc.. Legislation should be introduced to continue governing the BBC with an arm's length committee, well away from the mandarins of Whitehall, ensuring impartiality of programme output!
I reckon, the tv licence fee income process for the BBC and other projects is now on borrowed time! I suspect, the similar funding model for Ireland's state broadcaster RTE, will also discontinue the tv licence system. Time will tell..