Brian Gaff wrote:
So why have not the various networks been promoting the enquiry. Seems a bit
late in the day now?
I feel though that they will have a fight on their hands from the commercial
interests if they want to turn off fm. I know for a fact a number of larger
and smaller players in the commercial radio side have sent submissions to
this enquiry saying that how can they borrow the money to keep their
systems going if they have no proven model finance wise which would be the
case if the FM rug were pulled out leaving an inadequate DAB system with a
low listner base. A more realistic date might be 2025. Even hen, what other
medium can tail the signal off gracefully and not just either cut out or go
into boiling mud territory.
They believe, I think that the current dab needs to be sorted out and
properly funded and all the stuff we have talked about here, before its
even feasible to think about just allowing fm to be used by local stations.
The problem is that many commercial systems of the small variety, would
fall between the cracks in the proposed new order, and the bigger ones would
lose coverage.

Brian


Leaving aside the quality issue for a moment, I thought we were supposed
to be going green(er) these days? This is some useless initiative that
the Government is trying to drive through which will mean that - as with
mobile phones - 99% of the population have coverage and 100% of the
population will have to land fill their existing radio equipment.
Speaking as someone who - even in 2010 - cannot get a reliable signal on
Channel 5 and who [after switch-over] will still only be able to get the
main channels via an ariel I have little confidence in the coverage
predictions although I can get Radio 4...

Just how many existing radios will be consigned to land fill? I imagine
though that this initiative will restart the Chinese economy quite nicely.

--
David Kennedy

http://www.anindianinexile.com