Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

Hi Guys, you've been really helpful in the past with audio problems, can
you help me out with this one, please?

Am really flummoxed with all the media reports of the digital
change-over. Can anyone tell me if FM and AM radio are definitely going
to be killed, i.e. completely, when the "digital change-over" happens?

Here I am in 2008 needing to buy a NEW bedside radio, but we live in
South West Shropshire, on the Welsh border, and I understand that
there's no digital signal here . . . yet. And locals believe there
never will be. Can anyone tell me if the "digital change-over" is
definitely going to apply to radio as well as TV? (If so, it may mean
that the only way we'll be able to get radio in this remote rural
location will be via our satellite dish.)

Where we are the analogue TV signal is so weak, we have no alternative
but to have a satellite dish and watch freeview. So that's the TV side
sorted.

But will buying a new analogue radio (FM/AM) turn out, a year years down
the line, to have been a waste of money?

Thanks.

Eddy.

Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:01:52 GMT, Eddy
wrote:


Hi Guys, you've been really helpful in the past with audio problems, can
you help me out with this one, please?

Am really flummoxed with all the media reports of the digital
change-over. Can anyone tell me if FM and AM radio are definitely going
to be killed, i.e. completely, when the "digital change-over" happens?

Here I am in 2008 needing to buy a NEW bedside radio, but we live in
South West Shropshire, on the Welsh border, and I understand that
there's no digital signal here . . . yet. And locals believe there
never will be. Can anyone tell me if the "digital change-over" is
definitely going to apply to radio as well as TV? (If so, it may mean
that the only way we'll be able to get radio in this remote rural
location will be via our satellite dish.)

Where we are the analogue TV signal is so weak, we have no alternative
but to have a satellite dish and watch freeview. So that's the TV side
sorted.

But will buying a new analogue radio (FM/AM) turn out, a year years down
the line, to have been a waste of money?

Thanks.

Eddy.

Analogue radio is not currently under threat. Ofcom haven't even
started commissioning studies on the matter yet.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

Don Pearce wrote:
Analogue radio is not currently under threat. Ofcom haven't even
started commissioning studies on the matter yet.

Wow! Thanks, Don. That's one hell of a relief !

OK, so here on the border it may be 20 years till digital radios are
worth possessing, but there's enough stations on FM & AM to keep ME
happy.

I read the news all the time, and obviously I listen to the radio a
great deal, and, you know, the government and/or the media have failed,
I think, to make it plain to people that it's only analogue TV that will
be switching off in . . . is it 2012?

Thanks so much for the assurance.

Now it's full steam ahead for that flash Sony ICF-CD855L I saw at Comet
this afternoon!

Eddy.

Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 20:25:21 GMT, Eddy
wrote:

Don Pearce wrote:
Analogue radio is not currently under threat. Ofcom haven't even
started commissioning studies on the matter yet.

Wow! Thanks, Don. That's one hell of a relief !

OK, so here on the border it may be 20 years till digital radios are
worth possessing, but there's enough stations on FM & AM to keep ME
happy.

I read the news all the time, and obviously I listen to the radio a
great deal, and, you know, the government and/or the media have failed,
I think, to make it plain to people that it's only analogue TV that will
be switching off in . . . is it 2012?

Thanks so much for the assurance.

Now it's full steam ahead for that flash Sony ICF-CD855L I saw at Comet
this afternoon!

Eddy.


The way things are moving right now, it is quite possible that DAB
will die before analogue does. And of course, you have your satellite
feed for high quality household radio.

d

--
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

In article , Eddy eddy.bentle
scribeth thus

Hi Guys, you've been really helpful in the past with audio problems, can
you help me out with this one, please?

Am really flummoxed with all the media reports of the digital
change-over. Can anyone tell me if FM and AM radio are definitely going
to be killed, i.e. completely, when the "digital change-over" happens?

Here I am in 2008 needing to buy a NEW bedside radio, but we live in
South West Shropshire, on the Welsh border, and I understand that
there's no digital signal here . . . yet. And locals believe there
never will be. Can anyone tell me if the "digital change-over" is
definitely going to apply to radio as well as TV? (If so, it may mean
that the only way we'll be able to get radio in this remote rural
location will be via our satellite dish.)

Where we are the analogue TV signal is so weak, we have no alternative
but to have a satellite dish and watch freeview. So that's the TV side
sorted.

But will buying a new analogue radio (FM/AM) turn out, a year years down
the line, to have been a waste of money?

Thanks.

Eddy.


I really wouldn't worry about AM or FM being shut down for a long time
yet. What is far more likely to happen is that the current sorry mess
that is DAB (Dead And Buried) will eventually give way to DAB + using a
much better CODEC .. but then again all these transmission systems have
to be paid for and they aren't cheap hence the recent shut down by GCap
media of the Jazz and Planet rock and core none of which were making any
money.

They, GCap, would pull out of DAB as a duplicate of their FM services if
they could but the transmission contracts prevent that.

DAB I expect will be supported more by the BBC then the commercial
broadcasters but I wouldn't loose any sleep over any FM shutdown...
--
Tony Sayer

Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

tony sayer wrote:
I really wouldn't worry about AM or FM being shut down for a long time
yet. What is far more likely to happen is that the current sorry mess
that is DAB (Dead And Buried) will eventually give way to DAB + using a
much better CODEC .. but then again all these transmission systems have
to be paid for and they aren't cheap hence the recent shut down by GCap
media of the Jazz and Planet rock and core none of which were making any
money.

They, GCap, would pull out of DAB as a duplicate of their FM services if
they could but the transmission contracts prevent that.

DAB I expect will be supported more by the BBC then the commercial
broadcasters but I wouldn't loose any sleep over any FM shutdown...

Thanks for the confimation, Tony. Yes, I read about a couple of
stations pulling out of DAB a couple of weeks ago and the possible
implications of that. I didn't realise that it meant that it made it
more certain that FM would be lasting beyond the the "great digital
change-over".

Thanks.

Eddy.

Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
I really wouldn't worry about AM or FM being shut down for a long time
yet. What is far more likely to happen is that the current sorry mess
that is DAB (Dead And Buried) will eventually give way to DAB + using a
much better CODEC .. but then again all these transmission systems have
to be paid for and they aren't cheap hence the recent shut down by GCap
media of the Jazz and Planet rock and core none of which were making any
money.

And there's absolutely no reason to believe that DAB + will be any more
successful than the present DAB. There are already more than enough DAB
receivers in use to make any station profitable - if it gains a large
enough audience to attract advertisers.

--
*If we weren't meant to eat animals, why are they made of meat?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
scribeth thus
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
I really wouldn't worry about AM or FM being shut down for a long time
yet. What is far more likely to happen is that the current sorry mess
that is DAB (Dead And Buried) will eventually give way to DAB + using a
much better CODEC .. but then again all these transmission systems have
to be paid for and they aren't cheap hence the recent shut down by GCap
media of the Jazz and Planet rock and core none of which were making any
money.

And there's absolutely no reason to believe that DAB + will be any more
successful than the present DAB. There are already more than enough DAB
receivers in use to make any station profitable - if it gains a large
enough audience to attract advertisers.


Course that well known commercial radio medjia analyst Dave is in charge
of GCap media now!.

One thing their new guvnor saw as a glaring omission was the lack of
mobile in car audience which is still a terrestrial radio stronghold
despite ipod's and MP3 players and the like.

As sod all, less then 1%, of new vehicles let alone cars have DAB as
standard fit, they couldn't reach an important part of the audience with
these stations. That added to the high costs of DAB transmission, and it
doesn't matter if you own the MUX you still have to pay Arquiva, it
wasn't profitable.

When the car makers do start fitting DAB radios preferable to a modern
standard as DAB version 1 is out of date, then that situation might
change.

They, GCap, would do away with their other services on DAB tomorrow if
they could but the Transmission contracts don't run out till 2012 so
their stuck with the white heffalump till then;(..
--
Tony Sayer

Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
In article , Dave Plowman (News)
scribeth thus
In article , tony sayer
wrote:
I really wouldn't worry about AM or FM being shut down for a long
time yet. What is far more likely to happen is that the current sorry
mess that is DAB (Dead And Buried) will eventually give way to DAB +
using a much better CODEC .. but then again all these transmission
systems have to be paid for and they aren't cheap hence the recent
shut down by GCap media of the Jazz and Planet rock and core none of
which were making any money.

And there's absolutely no reason to believe that DAB + will be any more
successful than the present DAB. There are already more than enough DAB
receivers in use to make any station profitable - if it gains a large
enough audience to attract advertisers.


Course that well known commercial radio medjia analyst Dave is in charge
of GCap media now!.

Nice. Are you, then? And is it really a good idea to take any note of what
a failed company says? After all if they knew the answers they wouldn't
have failed...

One thing their new guvnor saw as a glaring omission was the lack of
mobile in car audience which is still a terrestrial radio stronghold
despite ipod's and MP3 players and the like.

And just how will DAB+ alter this?

As sod all, less then 1%, of new vehicles let alone cars have DAB as
standard fit, they couldn't reach an important part of the audience with
these stations. That added to the high costs of DAB transmission, and it
doesn't matter if you own the MUX you still have to pay Arquiva, it
wasn't profitable.

Err, Jazz FM was on what? Did that fail too due to high transmitter
rental? Or just a lack of audience?

When the car makers do start fitting DAB radios preferable to a modern
standard as DAB version 1 is out of date, then that situation might
change.

But cheapskates like you won't pay any extra for a car radio.

They, GCap, would do away with their other services on DAB tomorrow if
they could but the Transmission contracts don't run out till 2012 so
their stuck with the white heffalump till then;(..

You're in their confidence, are you?

--
*If horrific means to make horrible, does terrific mean to make terrible?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Analogue radio (FM/AM) completely on the way out?
 

In article , Dave Plowman (News)
scribeth thus
In article ,
tony sayer wrote:
In article , Dave Plowman (News)
scribeth thus
In article , tony sayer
wrote:
I really wouldn't worry about AM or FM being shut down for a long
time yet. What is far more likely to happen is that the current sorry
mess that is DAB (Dead And Buried) will eventually give way to DAB +
using a much better CODEC .. but then again all these transmission
systems have to be paid for and they aren't cheap hence the recent
shut down by GCap media of the Jazz and Planet rock and core none of
which were making any money.

And there's absolutely no reason to believe that DAB + will be any more
successful than the present DAB. There are already more than enough DAB
receivers in use to make any station profitable - if it gains a large
enough audience to attract advertisers.


Course that well known commercial radio medjia analyst Dave is in charge
of GCap media now!.

Nice. Are you, then? And is it really a good idea to take any note of what
a failed company says? After all if they knew the answers they wouldn't
have failed...

Nope .. they haven't failed just that former CEO has been replaced by
one who isn't so overwhelmed by the digital hogwash and seen that their
****ing money away with DAB..


One thing their new guvnor saw as a glaring omission was the lack of
mobile in car audience which is still a terrestrial radio stronghold
despite ipod's and MP3 players and the like.

And just how will DAB+ alter this?

If you think outside the UK like most car manufacturers do they have
noticed that the UK is the only place where there is any enthusiasm for
DAB as it is. Other countries are looking at the DAB + system and that
it seems is what they'll make receivers for so that they can be used in
a wider market..


As sod all, less then 1%, of new vehicles let alone cars have DAB as
standard fit, they couldn't reach an important part of the audience with
these stations. That added to the high costs of DAB transmission, and it
doesn't matter if you own the MUX you still have to pay Arquiva, it
wasn't profitable.

Err, Jazz FM was on what? Did that fail too due to high transmitter
rental? Or just a lack of audience?

Seems that more money could be made with the smooth format..

And it isn't that cheap to transmit either;!..

When the car makers do start fitting DAB radios preferable to a modern
standard as DAB version 1 is out of date, then that situation might
change.

But cheapskates like you won't pay any extra for a car radio.

Well since the Jazz went into Stereo albeit at 128 K MP2 I was
considering a DAB car radio for that service alone but alas not now.


They, GCap, would do away with their other services on DAB tomorrow if
they could but the Transmission contracts don't run out till 2012 so
their stuck with the white heffalump till then;(..

You\'re in their confidence, are you?

Nope just speak with people in the radio industry who wish that DAB
would go away..


--
Tony Sayer