OfCom DAB coverage consultation

[Gordon]

If any of you want to complain about or comment on your DAB coverage now's your chance. This consultation was launched 22nd June and has a lot of techy stuff about planning for a switch off of FM. There are maps of the predicted coverage for every region in the country, BBC and commercial, so you can find your own to check it.

Here's the link to find the OfCom documents:

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/dab-coverage-planning/

If you are really interested in the techy detail look for the annexes, especially c and i.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've had a good look at this. However, the questions seem designed to get the response they want (reminiscent of an episode of "The Men from the Ministry"). Howver, I didn't let them get away with that.

[Gordon]

Sorry about the double post but the system would not let me edit until I was logged in but I already was!! When I did re log in there was the second, edited post!!

.....the questions seem designed to get the response they want....

Isn't that what all consultations do!!

In this case, looking at the detailed "evidence" in the annexes, it's difficult to see what else they can do except forget the whole escapade! Talking off the record with some of the OfCom people that produced this report they have no real feelings one way or the other on this issue. The policy is driven from government via DCMOS but it's hard to see their motivation.

One thing is clear, the commercial sector, except Arqiva of course, do not want a continuation of the double transmission fees and will push for the project to go ahead. The BBC continues to build transmitters at a steady rate and will do so for the rest of this year and beyond so coverage will get better. If the OfCom plan does get implemented signal strengths will go up very considerably. However the problem is that the content available isn't convincing enough people.

[MarkG]

Apparently Portugal is ditching DAB altogether. As the prospect of FM switchoff doesn't seem very popular over here maybe time for a rethink?

[Gordon]

Apparently Portugal is ditching DAB altogether

I suspect they have some financial problems as well as take up issues. Their digital TV project is not that successul either. Spain has also retrenched a lot in Digital TV. Germany is building DAB+.

As the prospect of FM switchoff doesn't seem very popular over here maybe time for a rethink?

It may not be that popular because surveys show a lack of awareness.

The project for which this consultation was launched is to inform a review of the FM and AM radio networks with a view to switchover but only if criteria are met. Those criteria are based on take up and matching coverage and so far we are some way off on both but getting there with coverage [at least the BBC is]. A date between 2013 to 2015 has been talked of fro a decision but those dates are not targets but Aunt Sallys.

Some elements of industry are agin it and others for it. Commercial players want to rid themselves of the cost of two networks and that would not harm the BBC finances either. The European motor industry is planning to make FM/DAB/DAB+ radios standard by 2015, some marques [eg Ford] sooner than that and for all models. Many current UK DAB radios are able to support DAB+ with a software upgrade.