Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:25:39 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:




I wonder if they can survive in anything other than legacy mode once
the mainstream is entirely digital. At first there will be plenty of
old FM radios to give them an audience (although you might argue that
the typical current FM radio owner won't be their target audience),
but they will die out as they are no longer made. I'm not sure I would
want to start a new service based on obsolete technology.


I wasn't thinking so much of the receivers - although there'll be mountains
of them in the landfill come the day, especially when you factor in all the
car radios, but also of the transmitting gear. I don't know what's involved
to broadcast 'to the horizon' as you say, but what with local businesses
trying to compete with the Internet and the 'ethnic diversity' of certain
regions, I still see at least decades of usefulness in a network of truly
'local FM' stations.

Or am I just whistling in the breeze?

Reminds me that I bought a block of Chiltern Radio shares when they were
floated (we had an office in Luton at the time) but sold them at a small
profit a year later when I realised I didn't want to get into all that. I
wonder what they would be worth now? - A fraction of, I suspect, as I gather
the station has been ruined!



Unfortunately local radio tends to descend pretty rapidly into either
a jukebox or the direst of phone-ins - the only options they can ever
afford. You got out of that the best way you could, I think.

d

Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

In article ,
Keith G wrote:
I was thinking more of privatised and licenced regional services along
the lines of the early American broadcasting stations - run by 'locals'
with more 'local flavour' and relevancy for the inevitable advertising.

Big snag is radio is no more the magnet it once was. Same as TV. And to
pay for it requires money one way or another. Of course if all you want is
a local station playing pop music with the odd interview - how do you make
that more attractive than the lots of others doing the same? One which was
speech based and really dealing with local issues would be expensive to
run - and likely not that popular.

--
*Therapy is expensive, poppin' bubble wrap is cheap! You choose.

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

Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

In article 4a47a781.1080618593@localhost,
Don Pearce wrote:
Unfortunately local radio tends to descend pretty rapidly into either
a jukebox or the direst of phone-ins - the only options they can ever
afford.

Even national radio. As when the CH4 consortium pulled out of trying to
provide an alternative to R4. Of course the bean counters had ogled the
large R4 audience. But hadn't a clue about how much a true competitor
would have cost.

--
*Who is this General Failure chap anyway - and why is he reading my HD? *

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

Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
news:4a47a781.1080618593@localhost...

Unfortunately local radio tends to descend pretty rapidly into either
a jukebox or the direst of phone-ins - the only options they can ever
afford. You got out of that the best way you could, I think.


I agree, the local ILR stations just provide an endless barrage of heavily
compressed pop interspersed with mindless chatter and tedious ads. Whilst
the BBC local is just so parochial.

Only national radio can have audience figures large enough to justify the
costs of producing quality radio. I know a lot of people like to knock the
BBC, but as far as I can see it's the only organisation with the will and
recourses to do that

David.

Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
news:4a47a781.1080618593@localhost...
On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:25:39 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:




I wonder if they can survive in anything other than legacy mode once
the mainstream is entirely digital. At first there will be plenty of
old FM radios to give them an audience (although you might argue that
the typical current FM radio owner won't be their target audience),
but they will die out as they are no longer made. I'm not sure I would
want to start a new service based on obsolete technology.


I wasn't thinking so much of the receivers - although there'll be
mountains
of them in the landfill come the day, especially when you factor in all
the
car radios, but also of the transmitting gear. I don't know what's
involved
to broadcast 'to the horizon' as you say, but what with local businesses
trying to compete with the Internet and the 'ethnic diversity' of certain
regions, I still see at least decades of usefulness in a network of truly
'local FM' stations.

Or am I just whistling in the breeze?

Reminds me that I bought a block of Chiltern Radio shares when they were
floated (we had an office in Luton at the time) but sold them at a small
profit a year later when I realised I didn't want to get into all that. I
wonder what they would be worth now? - A fraction of, I suspect, as I
gather
the station has been ruined!



Unfortunately local radio tends to descend pretty rapidly into either
a jukebox or the direst of phone-ins - the only options they can ever
afford. You got out of that the best way you could, I think.

d

That may be true of local Commercial radio, but you're forgetting about
Community Radio. These stations are staffed largely by volunteers, with
paid employees kept to a minimum, possibly no more than one or two. They are
often Registered Charities, and can get things done that would be impossible
to a Commercial station that would have to pay for the programme content,
whether through salaries or by purchase from independent producers.

My own Hospital Radio station has just been awarded a Community license by
Ofcom, and we see CR being what Local Commercial Radio should have been,
i.e. local, producing programmes of local interest by and for locals, not
networked jukeboxes. Community Radio is relatively new, and perhaps it will
take time to settle down, but if any CR becomes a jukebox or just a phone-in
channel for whingers, then they won't meet their Promise of Performance, and
Ofcom will shut them down.

S.

www.radiowestsuffolk.co.uk

--
http://audiopages.googlepages.com

Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:15:08 +0100, "Serge Auckland"
wrote:


"Don Pearce" wrote in message
news:4a47a781.1080618593@localhost...
On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:25:39 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:




I wonder if they can survive in anything other than legacy mode once
the mainstream is entirely digital. At first there will be plenty of
old FM radios to give them an audience (although you might argue that
the typical current FM radio owner won't be their target audience),
but they will die out as they are no longer made. I'm not sure I would
want to start a new service based on obsolete technology.


I wasn't thinking so much of the receivers - although there'll be
mountains
of them in the landfill come the day, especially when you factor in all
the
car radios, but also of the transmitting gear. I don't know what's
involved
to broadcast 'to the horizon' as you say, but what with local businesses
trying to compete with the Internet and the 'ethnic diversity' of certain
regions, I still see at least decades of usefulness in a network of truly
'local FM' stations.

Or am I just whistling in the breeze?

Reminds me that I bought a block of Chiltern Radio shares when they were
floated (we had an office in Luton at the time) but sold them at a small
profit a year later when I realised I didn't want to get into all that. I
wonder what they would be worth now? - A fraction of, I suspect, as I
gather
the station has been ruined!



Unfortunately local radio tends to descend pretty rapidly into either
a jukebox or the direst of phone-ins - the only options they can ever
afford. You got out of that the best way you could, I think.

d

That may be true of local Commercial radio, but you're forgetting about
Community Radio. These stations are staffed largely by volunteers, with
paid employees kept to a minimum, possibly no more than one or two. They are
often Registered Charities, and can get things done that would be impossible
to a Commercial station that would have to pay for the programme content,
whether through salaries or by purchase from independent producers.


I'm sure, but such systems can really only work when they sit amongst
real, paying systems. Ofcom is not going to reserve spectrum for a
non-paying medium - the bean counters run the show these days.

My own Hospital Radio station has just been awarded a Community license by
Ofcom, and we see CR being what Local Commercial Radio should have been,
i.e. local, producing programmes of local interest by and for locals, not
networked jukeboxes. Community Radio is relatively new, and perhaps it will
take time to settle down, but if any CR becomes a jukebox or just a phone-in
channel for whingers, then they won't meet their Promise of Performance, and
Ofcom will shut them down.

S.

www.radiowestsuffolk.co.uk

People will have to complain loud and long before Ofcom shut a station
down. They take no executive action unbidden.

d

Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:14:22 +0100, "David Looser"
wrote:

"Don Pearce" wrote in message
news:4a47a781.1080618593@localhost...

Unfortunately local radio tends to descend pretty rapidly into either
a jukebox or the direst of phone-ins - the only options they can ever
afford. You got out of that the best way you could, I think.


I agree, the local ILR stations just provide an endless barrage of heavily
compressed pop interspersed with mindless chatter and tedious ads. Whilst
the BBC local is just so parochial.

Only national radio can have audience figures large enough to justify the
costs of producing quality radio. I know a lot of people like to knock the
BBC, but as far as I can see it's the only organisation with the will and
recourses to do that


Yes - on DAB right now only the BBC bouquet is even remotely
listenable; the rest is just entropy.

d

Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:11:50 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article 4a47a781.1080618593@localhost,
Don Pearce wrote:
Unfortunately local radio tends to descend pretty rapidly into either
a jukebox or the direst of phone-ins - the only options they can ever
afford.

Even national radio. As when the CH4 consortium pulled out of trying to
provide an alternative to R4. Of course the bean counters had ogled the
large R4 audience. But hadn't a clue about how much a true competitor
would have cost.

I was surprised at their poor research, I must say. They embarrassed
themselves.

d

Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

In article ,
Serge Auckland wrote:
Unfortunately local radio tends to descend pretty rapidly into either
a jukebox or the direst of phone-ins - the only options they can ever
afford. You got out of that the best way you could, I think.

d

That may be true of local Commercial radio, but you're forgetting about
Community Radio. These stations are staffed largely by volunteers, with
paid employees kept to a minimum, possibly no more than one or two.
They are often Registered Charities, and can get things done that would
be impossible to a Commercial station that would have to pay for the
programme content, whether through salaries or by purchase from
independent producers.

My own Hospital Radio station has just been awarded a Community license
by Ofcom, and we see CR being what Local Commercial Radio should have
been, i.e. local, producing programmes of local interest by and for
locals, not networked jukeboxes. Community Radio is relatively new, and
perhaps it will take time to settle down, but if any CR becomes a
jukebox or just a phone-in channel for whingers, then they won't meet
their Promise of Performance, and Ofcom will shut them down.

Not knocking it - but just how large an audience does it get? And
volunteers are fine - until the supply dries up. As it will.

--
*Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now *

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

Petition to stop FM being switched off
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Serge Auckland wrote:
Unfortunately local radio tends to descend pretty rapidly into either
a jukebox or the direst of phone-ins - the only options they can ever
afford. You got out of that the best way you could, I think.

d

That may be true of local Commercial radio, but you're forgetting about
Community Radio. These stations are staffed largely by volunteers, with
paid employees kept to a minimum, possibly no more than one or two.
They are often Registered Charities, and can get things done that would
be impossible to a Commercial station that would have to pay for the
programme content, whether through salaries or by purchase from
independent producers.

My own Hospital Radio station has just been awarded a Community license
by Ofcom, and we see CR being what Local Commercial Radio should have
been, i.e. local, producing programmes of local interest by and for
locals, not networked jukeboxes. Community Radio is relatively new, and
perhaps it will take time to settle down, but if any CR becomes a
jukebox or just a phone-in channel for whingers, then they won't meet
their Promise of Performance, and Ofcom will shut them down.

Not knocking it - but just how large an audience does it get? And
volunteers are fine - until the supply dries up. As it will.

--
*Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now *

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

We've been going for 35 years, producing 50 hours a week of live programming
with volunteers. Broadcasting on AM for the past 10 years to the local town,
although we can't acknowledge listeners outside the Hospital. That was the
motivation for applying to become the CR for Bury St Edmunds, as we have
more listeners in the town than in the Hospital. Our PoP states we'll be
increasing that to 100 hours per week within two years, and we're adding
volunteers pretty much as fast as we can train them. Time will of course
tell if that dries up, but we've not seen any sign of it.

The Govt have been making lots of noise about how they want to expand
Community Radio, to provide a proper local station now that all Commercial
stations are networked jukeboxes...remember when it was called Independent
Local Radio? Hardly Independent or Local any more.....

S.
--
http://audiopages.googlepages.com