DAB agreement is a “complete shambles”

02/07/2012 - 22:49 | 11 Replies More

The much awaited Memorandum of Understanding just published by the Government has been branded a “total waste of time and energy” by at least one radio group CEO.

UKRD’s William Rogers says “it beggars belief that this has been published as a serious proposition.”

The MoU establishes an agreement in principle to fund the build-out of local DAB to FM equivalences over the next 5 years, with a commitment to consider further funding if necessary.

The MoU outlines three key phases of the process:

Phase One – Action prior to the 2013 radio switchover decision
Phase Two – Post 2013 radio switchover decision to 90 per cent local DAB coverage
Phase Three – Extending local DAB coverage from 90 per cent to FM equivalence

The first part of the £21m plan includes the launching of five new local DAB multiplexes in Gloucestershire, Hereford and Worcester, Northamptonshire, North East Wales and West Cheshire, and Oxfordshire in the next 18 months. Multiplex operator MuxCo says they intend to launch very much towards the beginning of the 18 month period.

However, the agreement between Global, Bauer, UTV, BBC, Arqiva, Ofcom and more is not legally binding so could be cancelled at anytime.

Rogers, who is usually vocal on all things digital, said: “This is tantamount to kicking the can down the road and does absolutely nothing to end the uncertainties around the local DAB situation.

“We have been waiting for this for months and months and all we get is a meaningless piece of paper devoid of any serious commitment to the necessary funding required or any sensible strategy to deliver certainty to this whole local DAB shambles.”

He angrily dismissed the Memorandum as a “complete waste of time” and said that “it is now clear that 2015 is as dead as a Dodo and 2017 looks less than likely.”

“We have been waiting for this for months and when it eventually gets produced it might as well be used to wrap fish and chips. Even the Government is not prepared to commit to the necessary funding for the local DAB roll out beyond 2017 at the very time when it would need to be delivered. This is a complete shambles and it makes it less likely that either operators or motor manufacturers will have any confidence at all that this is likely to proceed.

“The DCMS has elevated the shambolic strategic planning of the local radio sector to an art form and it beggars belief that this has been published as a serious proposition. This is shambolic, ill-considered and utterly meaningless. More uncertainty, not less and even more proof, if we haven’t already had enough, that the Government is incapable of managing this process competently,” said Rogers.

Do you agree? Leave your comments below.


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Category: Industry News

  • Phil

    Zzzzzzzz. I bet he’s had that rant drafted for a while.

  • Doctor Radio

    It’s such a shame that the future if radio is being strangled by the blind insistence on using outdated technology and existing operators being protected by gate keeping out any innovative new entrants.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003294357207 James Martin

    Fair play to Mr Rogers. He’s a guy I have a lot of time for. He’s passionate, outspoken and opinionated and not afraid to make that known. It is refreshing to be reminded that PASSION is not a dirty word at UKRD – a group I massively admire – and I think anyone who dismisses him as just putting his 2p in isn’t looking at the full picture, or at least not looking at the situations he talks about from multiple points of view.

    However, on the DAB question, I have to say it is a shambles. 2015 was never, ever, in a month of Sundays going to happen. Digital television launched in this country on October 1st, 1998. On this day, July 3rd, 2012 – nearly 14 years later – we still have analogue transmitters online. To upgrade any television to digital (and every set in our house is, indeed, an upgraded analogue set rather than a true digital one) is a simple job – you go to Tesco, you buy a £10 box, you plug it into the SCART or AV input.

    Unless it’s a HiFi/Music Centre/etc., there is no Aux Input socket to plug a digital radio into! Also, the average household has a lot more radios than they will televisions. Finally – what are car owners going to do? Replacing an FM/AM radio with a DAB one is not an easy task!

    And many stations – mainly the sallies – are still FM only. In my own career, I have never broadcast on a station that was carried on DAB. Look at Quidem, the main small-scale operator in my area. They own eight stations. Just one is on DAB. I understand Lincs FM Group are looking to bring Trax FM and Ridings FM off DAB as soon as they can! Does that really suggest to anyone that DAB as it is, is the future?

    I’m afraid I see FM being king for a long time yet. If I were a richer man, and sadly since my employment prospects are so poor, I am not, I would happily go to Laddy’s or Will Hill’s tomorrow and put a grand on FM still being very much alive and kicking by January 1st, 2020.

    At on that day, I would be an even richer man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/justinmacartney Robert Justin Macartney

    You know when you’ve been QUANGOED

  • Mr Radio

    It seems to be an appropriate strategy to have a roadmap for DAB with the phases outlined. This tub-thumping may grab the odd headline…but doesn’t help the industry move forward.

  • http://www.facebook.com/mouley Daniel ‘Moley’ Moule

    DAB is a waste of space, you get better quality with FM and when i looked up the HD Radio that they have in America & Canada it was a better system, that worked with both analogue and digital, it was also stronger and more simpler than our DAB.

    Also with DAB the problem is when you go out of the area you have to rescan and you can lose your favourite stations. The quality is too rubbish. Rant Over.

  • http://jamesvincentuk.blogspot.com james vincent

    always have and always will b a mess. but we need dab+ and local multiplexes to match fm coverage. in south east wales capital goes as far up to the Rhondda and onto highest parts of the valleys. on dab signal goes as soon as we hit the A470 just off the M4. pointless.

  • JEP

    Usual sour grapes from UKRD regarding DAB. Who couldn’t have guessed they would be critical of it. It was written in the stars as they say that UKRD would dream up something critical. As someone else here said he probably already had his rant written before he was even privy to the findings.
    Someone else complained that it wasn’t easy to make DAB available in a car equipped with just am/fm what nonsense I bought a piece of kit sub £100 3 or 4 years ago worked a treat. Anyone could use it that was capable of plugging it into their cig lighter and sticking a small sticker like aerial on the windscreen. Don’t use it any longer as when i changed car last year made sure it came fitted with DAB.

  • audio DAB neutral

    Whilst I respect elements of WR’s comments, it appears to me the reason UKRD shout ‘so loud’ is because they have no (or little) voice.

    Apart from a couple of poxy HR awards (which must have been rigged from reading what their “investment in people” is from other current and ex employees, UKRD seem to fail to acknowledge is that there has been millions of DABs sold in the UK and the majority of these users would like more content. These DAB users aren’t too interested in quality of audio, it is variety of content; something most FM radio groups don’t supply.

    Get over it Rogers…

    ps we all know it’s only the UKRD employee that ‘dislike’ the comments…. cute: quite cult like!

  • Radio Man

    I certainly think that the very least people should expect is like for like regarding FM to DAB. Which means that all stations broadcasting in stereo on FM should broadcast in stereo on DAB.

    If quantity means a reduction in the quality of existing FM services, there is a major problem.

    Also DAB is also very expensive for broadcasters at the moment, this must be looked at to ensure the sustainabity of services the provide.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ddwig Dave Wiggy Wiggins

    I Do Feel Wright Now DAB Digital Radio Do Need To Get More Radio Stations On To DAB Digital Radio It Is UseLess What I Can See Now Not Many Stations Are On It BBC Are On It So Is Global Stations Heart Gold And Capital And Smooth Radio And Real Radio Please Do Get More Radio Stations On To DAB Digital Radio Now Please

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