A “scrappage scheme” is being launched in the UK to encourage people to upgrade their old analogue radios with new digital sets. The “radio amnesty” which will begin tomorrow, will see participating retailers offer customers discounts of between 10% and 20% on new DAB digital radios.
The initiative, developed by the BBC and commercial radio stations, draws inspiration from the Government’s recent popular car scrappage scheme and will run until 26 June. It will be supported by on-air radio promotions developed by Digital Radio UK.
Analogue radios collected during the “amnesty” will be reconditioned and sent to the Children’s Radio Foundation in Southern Africa and Unicef, giving youngsters access to radio programmes. Those beyond repair will be recycled under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive.
In its Digital Britain report launched last year, the Labour Government anticipated that by the end of 2013, 50% of radio listening would be digital, DAB coverage would reach 90% of the population and all major roads and national DAB coverage should be comparable to FM coverage. It said it hoped to deliver the Digital Radio Upgrade programme by the end of 2015.
Manufacturers such as Pure, Roberts and Sony among others have agreed to take part, with discounts expected to be around 10%. Various chains plus other independent retailers will be participating, offering varying discounts.
(Source: Press Association)
on May 21st, 2010 at 16:37
Unfortunately, verifiable evidence proves that DAB radio is actually INFERIOR to FM in the most important areas and no better than others.
More stations have been crammed in than the DAB system was designed for, so the sound quality is always worse than FM, and the BBC website shows that programmes made in stereo are sometimes broadcast in mono on DAB.
The signal for DAB is more patchy than for FM, and when a DAB signal is poor, you get a loud ‘bubbling mud’ sound, or no sound at all.
Many of the advantages claimed for DAB radios already exist on FM. If you have an FM radio with RDS - as is the case in most cars - you already have push button station selection, and automatic retuning as you drive round the country. And RDS also provides radio text, although for some reason many UK broadcasters have chosen not to use it.
The best way to listen to digital radio is either on Freeview or through the internet, both of which give much better sound. The UK’s shoddy outdated DAB system has been abandonned by most other countries, and deserves to fail here.
on May 21st, 2010 at 19:05
All digital radio is a solution for a problem that does not exist.
Only governments and a few freaks wants digital so that they have better control.
Digital TV is picking up very fast and becoming a success rapidly in many countries, but radio is something completely different. Digital radio is a success NOWHERE.
Now with a world in a major conomic crisis governments should drop all nonsense starting with digital radio.
Forcing people into digital radio is a crime in my eyes.
on May 22nd, 2010 at 13:12
The British public is being pushed by con-artists and snake oil salesmen into making this huge mistake. DAB is little more than expensive hype, which promises much more than it delivers.
Benny Brown
on May 23rd, 2010 at 10:07
DAB is hugely expensive to broadcast on. Small local radio companies don’t stand a chance. There are three costs involved, streaming from the studio to the broadcast transmitter. Bandwidth (higher quality cost more, stereo cost double) and then the charge for the contract. Our local DAB company basically said ‘you just cant afford it mate’. Whereas on FM we own our own transmitter and it’s on-site i.e. free to run. Incidentally FM listening is on the up:
http://james.cridland.net/blog/radio-vs-traditional-media/ (against the migration away from TV and newspapers)
and mobile phone companies are plugging FM radio heavily:
http://james.cridland.net/blog/a-great-reason-to-buy-a-mobile-phone/
on May 23rd, 2010 at 17:13
The drive to eliminate several hundred million(!) normal FM/AM radios and tuners in favour of generally poorer quality, more expensive to operate DAB sets makes no sense; except to consumer electronics manufacturers and government coffers by selling off valuable spectrum.
The BBC should not be participating in this propaganda exercise.
It is not green, cost-effective or listener friendly. Just sign the petition and say no!
on May 23rd, 2010 at 17:15
The drive to eliminate several hundred million(!) normal FM/AM radios and tuners in favour of generally poorer quality, more expensive to operate DAB sets makes no sense; except to consumer electronics manufacturers and government coffers by selling off valuable spectrum.
The BBC should not be participating in this propaganda exercise.
It is not green, cost-effective or listener friendly. Just sign the petition - http://www.petition.co.uk/save-fm-not-dab - and say no!
on May 24th, 2010 at 06:53
I have thrown away a DAB radio because I cannot get good reception on many stations;some either come and go, or bubble like mud if signal is weak
on May 26th, 2010 at 19:28
I totally agree that DAB doesn\’t sound as good as FM. I remember reading somewhere on the net that all of the national operaters in the UK, ar not maximizing use of spectrim, at least from a bitrate point of view.
However, I went out the other day and purchased a Pure Highway for the car as I am tired of hearing all of that horible fluttery noise on FM, and flanging on 5Live on AM. I live down in North Dorset where FM coverage is frankly, not great.
I was getting reasonable reseption with the Arial that ships with the set. You\’re supposed to mount that Arial on the windscreen however, I found that I could achieve better results by putting the Arial through the trunking of our 10 year old Ford focus estate then, let it hang down by the side Window near the boot. Still, after reading extensive reviews on the net, I decided to upgrade the Arial to the magmount that Pure sell.
I fed the cable under the seals of the boot then, into the trunking inside the car. I joined an audio cable on to it so that it would reach the dashboard. I went to all of that trouble because I want to leave the magmount fixed to the roof and am not keen on doing what Pure recommend, feed the Arial cable through the passenger door. not good!
I plugged it in then, tuned the cars FM radio to the Pure\’s FM transmitter and all I can say at least from a reseption point of view is, wow!
I live in Gillingham dorset
and we are not in the best place for DAB coverage. Getting an Arial like this is the way forward as you\’re able to receive DAB from a 360 degree angle. I must also add that I am able to receive
local multiplexes really well too. Mind you, I must admit that I had to locate the sweet spot for the Arial on the car. For example, putting the Arial towards the middle of the roof onthe car, did not achieve good results, where as, placing it towards the back of the roof, works great!
I drove back from Darby listening to the national multiplexes and only got a little flutttering around 20 miles from home and locally in Gillingham.
I wish that we were adopting DAB+ over here in the UK and am extremely glad that I purchassed a Pure radio as they are software upgradable to any new DAB standard that may come out in the future.
Contrast this with listening to FM on the way back from the midlands which, I have done before and there would have been a lot of fluttering and noise, especially when you get on to parts of the A303 in Wiltshire. I also agree that digital radio from the BBC and others souns a lot better on satellite and freeview.
on May 28th, 2010 at 13:11
DAB in the UK is the best way to pick up BBC World Service if you don\’t want to be tied to a computer. It\’s there, 24 hours a day, in crisp and clear mono. A lot better than it ever used to be on short wave.
Also BBC Radio 5 Live is a lot better on DAB than on Medium Wave.
So there are some advantages to DAB over FM/AM.
on May 29th, 2010 at 13:49
Yes Rob, what you are stating is that DAB is better then AM.
This is not under discussion.
But is it also a good alternative for FM?
Most people are happy with the FM offer, so for them DAB does not give them anything, actually it is worse then FM, and they have to spent money on a new receiver, no, SIX receivers, since that is the average number available in a household.
And they can throw away all their old still working analogue radio sets. What a waste, and bad for the environment.
A more efficient use of the FM band enables more stations to be on the air, as has been proved in Holland with the so called Zero Base operation in 2003.
Actually I have no problem with AM, and love BBCWS on 648.
In the USA many speech based stations are doing a fine job on AM. They even make money!!