The UK government said today that it is dropping a 2015 target date for switching radio transmission to digital from analogue, saying the timing must be decided by the pace of public demand. Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said listeners need to be persuaded of the case for abandoning their old radios and buying new DAB digital ones. A decision on the date for the switchover would not be taken until half of radio listening in Britain was digital, he said. DAB radios currently account for 15 percent of listening now.
“We can’t impose this on an unwilling public, no matter how persuasive the business case, or how clearly we know that analogue is already providing a barrier to growth and creativity,” Vaizey said in extracts of a speech released in advance. “Listeners need to be persuaded that the content on offer is compelling, that the quality is high and that digital radios, at home or in the car, are affordable and have listening quality that is at least as good as FM.”
Mr Vaizey will publish a “digital action plan” to encourage more people to switch and to give manufacturers the confidence to keep investing. He said the plan “sets out our clear commitment to make progress towards digital radio switchover. But I am not setting a date.”
He said industry believed 2015 was an achievable target date and the government would work to support that, provided there was sufficient public demand. “When the weight of public opinion is behind it, with more than half of all radio-listening digital, then we can take the decision on when the country will be ready for switchover,” he said.
The ousted Labour government had scheduled 2015 for switching national and regional radio stations to digital. But take up of digital has been slower than anticipated, with the majority of listeners apparently happy with the service received over their analogue radios. A House of Lords committee warned in March there would be a “major public reaction” against a 2015 switchover unless the government improved its case for the change.
Switching off the analogue signal would make between 50 million and 100 million radios in Britain redundant. There are also 20 million cars which would need converters to receive digital, while digital radios will not be fitted as standard in vehicles till 2013. Critics of digital radio say the signal strength can be patchy in parts of the country and argue that sound quality has been compromised by the increase in the number of channels.
(Source: Reuters)
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on Jul 8th, 2010 at 13:56
Good job, firstly it’s far too soon a date and secondly DAB will have to be way better than it is before I or anybody else will ever think of it. There are too many stations on it and reception is too patchy at best to make it worthwhile.
on Jul 8th, 2010 at 14:51
UK never did say yes to close down FM band. It will still be aviable to local radio and community radio of low powers. All nat. or reg. radio in digital, that’s all, nothing else.
on Jul 8th, 2010 at 18:46
Hello Everyone,
If I was a DAB salesman, I would be looking for a new job.
DAB in the UK has now existed for nearly 15 years with a poor sales rate demonstrating 70% per cent of the British public do not want DAB and never will want DAB!
You cannot force the public to buy into what became a poor quality system. The MP2 product is still good, although a bit outdated, but the flawed process of squeezing too many duplicated (format) channels on too few multiplexes is gradually ruining the UK\’s digital radio industry. -That rotten process could carry on into a DAB+ (MP4) era because the UK DAB industry does not see the errs of its ways.
The good news is the political crutches for this lame duck industry were kicked away earlier today by the culture minister. The DAB industry has learned that the public cannot be duped into listening to a system that is inferior to FM for reproduction of quality of sound.
There was no mention of ever switching off the AM system, so why single out FM radio for closure? The short answer is FM STEREO does sound much better for national radio services when compared to their simulcast over compressed offering on DAB..
Regards..Willie
on Jul 8th, 2010 at 18:47
The UK has a digital radio problem, like the 405 lines syndrym in the past.
DAB is totally obsolete, using the MPEG2 codec.
The rest of Europe is considering or intruding DAB +, with better sound quality and less capacity-consuming.
UK has been pushing DAB to hard, and must decide very soon indeed to switch over to DAB+.
New receivers will be compatible DAB+ and DAB, but older ones will become obsolete, even sooner then analogue radioos.
BTW the switch off of AM is non productive, since there is nothing to do with it. DRM is nonsense, DAB+ is much better and has enough capacity so we dont need DRM.
on Jul 8th, 2010 at 20:10
I think AM radio will be there until nobody wants to pay or nobody is able to pay for the running costs anymore.
OT: 828 kHz Arrow Classic Rock is back on the air with low power.
on Jul 8th, 2010 at 21:35
A dual strategy of DAB+ and eventual transition to DRM+ on the 87-108mhz fm band would be a good strategy for the uk to adopt:a)DRM+ via 87-108mhz fm will allow broadcasters who cant afford to broadcast on DAB+ or get on it a second best option at less cost because a fair quality mono slot on a DAB+ multiplex is costly to start with,which doubles with a fairish joint stereo slot on a dab+ multiplex which triples in cost if you take an excellent quality stereo slot on a dab+ multiplex(not a lot of stations can afford to go on dab+ because of these high costs),whereas drm+ via 87-108mhz can fit four stations into one fm frequency at 44.1khz cd quality stereo and when you use all the frequencies in that band that\’s a lot of stations and a lot of choice available to the listener,b)while dab+ can be used by everybody else that can afford it. Having this dual format strategy creates a win win situation for broadcaster and listener.
on Jul 9th, 2010 at 06:45
Also DRM+ in the 87-108Mhz FM band is a more efficient use of bandwidth as it can fit in four CD quality stereo and mono radio channels per frequency as opposed to one per frequency as with analogue FM stereo radio. DRM+ and DAB+ are a good answer for the listener broadcaster and set manufacturer.
on Jul 9th, 2010 at 07:37
The end solution; DRM is great on shortwave and in the 11-m band. A 500watts DRM in 11-m has the same coverage as a 5 kW FM, at the same hight of antenna.The audio is superb and even penetration of carrier.
2. DRM+ has a great coverage in band l and ll. DRM+ in the band lll is even better than dab+.
3. About costs of dab+ national service, I will inform you when we really know in Sweden, course dab+ is free of fee, applications cost 3.000EUR for 8 years + leasing of airtime at Teracom. Analouge AM/FM local service cost 4.500EURx 8 years or bids.
L-band is free to dab+ from 1 of august in Sweden.
If anyone wants to get a nat. dab+ licence in Sweden just contact http://www.rtvv.se after 1 of august. Between 12 - 18 channels aviable.
on Jul 9th, 2010 at 08:02
The EU laws says that you can use all 120 channels on MW to local radio up to 10 kW*s daytime. We have to see about it in Sweden, if anyone wants to get on air as a community radio. 100% commercial is legal in Sweden to community radio. A 500 watts AM is enough to community radio in EU.
on Jul 9th, 2010 at 08:09
Ruud old friend, DRM is great on SW and the 11-m band. DRM+ is better than DAB+ course you can owm your own transmitter.
on Jul 10th, 2010 at 07:20
The worst thing about switching to digital radio is that the world might end up with a few incompatible standards
As someone who travels a lot (and I always bring my FM/AM/SW radio along!) I’m not looking forward to that sad day.