Switch Off Analogue (FM LW LW) Radio Signal – 2015
Hi friends
Enter the debate……
From daily Telegraph Thursday 8th April 2010
By Neil Midgley
The controversial Digital Economy Act, passed as one of the current government’s very last pieces of legislation in the “wash-up” process before Parliament is dissolved next week, enacts a legal framework to end FM, AM and Long Wave radio transmissions – despite huge practical objections and warnings that pressing ahead may result
Recent statistics show that the vast majority – 94 per cent – of radio listeners are satisfied with the service they currently receive and that less than a third of radios sold in the UK are digital.
The influential House of Lords Communication Committee, chaired by Lord Fowler, has also warned of the consequences of a digital switchover for the millions of perfectly functional analogue radio sets in Britain. Up to 100million existing sets will effectively become useless, while radios in 30million cars will also need to be converted – at a cost of upwards of £55 a time.
Switchover has also been the subject of fierce opposition from some radio campaigners, including 14 operators of local commercial radio stations who have today written to The Daily Telegraph saying that their ability to operate in the future is directly challenged by the digital radio switchover proposals in the Act.
These small stations – from West Berkshire to the Shetland Islands – said that they face being excluded from the new digital service and therefore starved of listeners and advertising.
The House of Commons Culture Media and Sport Committee this week warned of a “digital divide” in radio, with coverage patchy at best in rural and remote areas.
The organisation leading the proposed switchover, Digital Radio UK, says that the benefits of digital radio include a greater choice of services, improved sound quality and new functionality such as being able to pause, record and rewind radio broadcasts. Switchover will also lower costs for radio broadcasters, who currently have to pay to transmit their services twice – once on FM, and once on digital.
Digital Radio UK says that the new law provides a framework for digital radio coverage across the country to be improved, and for car manufacturers to start fitting digital radios as standard. Radio deserves a digital future and this legislation is the first key to unlocking that, said Ford Ennals, its chief executive.
The target date of 2015 for switchover to digital radio was described by culture secretary Ben Bradshaw in the House of Commons this week as an incentive not an ultimatum, with the precise date remaining to be set by the incoming government after the general election. The switchover date will not be set until more than 50 per cent of radio listening is via digital means, and national digital radio coverage reaches a comparable level to the current FM signal.
The radio in the picture is a Ekco by YT friend” batterymaker” Many thanks
Regards
Richard
Please Note: The photos and music used in this video do not belong to me and are the copyright of their respective owners. I have uploaded this video for entertainment purposes only. If I infringe Copyright I will remove the posting without question.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/7564692/Say-goodbye-to-your-transistor-radio-digital-switchover-is-coming.htm
Duration : 0:4:38
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@legOldtimer
Bill …
@legOldtimer
Bill
Thank you entering the debate and I am with you.
Kind regards
Richard
Hi Richard,
Here …
Hi Richard,
Here in the Netherlands they are also planning to stop with the Analoque Radio (they say in 2020). Digital Radio in a car is problematic, so why switching to a new system if the old ones works perfect. I am a Radio man, like to search and listen on the shortwave bands and also building these Radios. Is this over and out by 2015? I hope not!!
Greetzz.. Ben
Don’t worry dad, …
Don’t worry dad, with the amount of items in your work shop we could probably start our own pirate radio for everyone still on analogue. If not im sure someone will come up with a device that sends out an analogue signal converted from a digital source.
Im sure the …
Im sure the government is loving the fact we will have to buy new equipment. Is this their way of getting everyone to buy something to keep up the economy during this economic crisis?
If this does happen, we must all buy things later and hold out for a bit. Surely mass production and selling of items will make things suddenly become very affordable for people who didn’t buy straight away.
@spannerworks1 …
@spannerworks1 Richard
Definately.Warm here too in the sun,but chilly in the shade!
Regards River
@bluenazz
Craig
…
@bluenazz
Craig
Thanks interesting to hear how things are in the US – I always thought it was the other way – how wrong I was.
Warm regards
Richard
A worthwhile rant …
A worthwhile rant Richard, especially when you live in a nation where there is still radio worth listening to. Where I live, the radio content is so poor that I, for one, wouldn’t miss it. I never listen to radio at home, only while driving to work in the car. And I could live without that if need be.
@AG3304
River
I …
@AG3304
River
I agree lets hope the aspiration is just that.
Weather warm here in the sun – cold in the shade.
Regards
Richard
@SlimeTron5000
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@SlimeTron5000
Slime
Many thanks for entering the debate
Richard
@batterymaker
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@batterymaker
Bill
Thanks for putting me right.
@umajunkcollector
…
@umajunkcollector
Don
Many thanks for entering the debate and see you soon.
Regards
Richard
@chompo7
Joe
…
@chompo7
Joe
Thanks for the comment and see you soon friend
Richard
@agfamatic91
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@agfamatic91
Michael
Thank you for entering the debate and your comments.
Warm regards
Richard
@pyestudiocolour
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@pyestudiocolour
Many thanks for entering the debate and I have had that message about local stations taking over the FM wave length. It did say in the article the number of sets need to be the same as the current FM sets before the switch off happpens and it is a aspiration. Lets hope it is only that.
Warm regards
Richard
I agree that DAB is …
I agree that DAB is not particularly good, with definite reception and sound quality problems and think that at least some of the BBC stations should remain on FM to avoid the massive waste of perfectly good radio sets.
I have a decent collection of old radios and use an iTrip FM transmitter to re transmit internet radio stations and DAB around the house, so I won’t be disposing of my sets!
The switch is only supposed to happen if there is sufficient uptake of DAB sets, so who knows if it will?
I believe that the …
I believe that the proposal is to shift existing stations which broadcast on DAB and FM (national and local) to DAB only and to allocate the current FM band for local and community stations – so it’s not completely the end for old analogue radios. This could even lead to more choice than the existing profit-lead commercial system. AM radio will be abandoned in this country, but may be used for future digital transmissions.
from what i have …
from what i have heard that digital radio system is not that good becoase you will need a perfect reseption othervise you will not get eny audio at all.
if they begin to use that system instaid of normal fm and am i think people that lives on the countryside will have huge problems geting enyting on the radio.
how sad! i cant …
how sad! i cant imagine this wont be far behind in the usa too.
Man this digital …
Man this digital age really sux!
The idea of going …
The idea of going digital is that it requires far less power to broadcast = less energy costs to transmit. And they can use repeaters like cellery fones use, in fact they can use cellery fones as receivers. It will be more in line with simulcasting on the internet too. And it will SELL a lot of radios and TVs = jobs (in China that is). We live in times whereas things are obselesent in no time. I bet many pirate stations will be out there if they do it. Radio programming sux anyhow.
Actually, that’s an …
Actually, that’s an Ekco…
A teacher told me …
A teacher told me that he prefers analogue television because it is better getting minor static noise rather than complete starts and stops.
This is an entertaining rant, Richard. But I strongly disapprove of The Bible.
Richard,l can’t …
Richard,l can’t imagine why these silly trendies want to turn off a system that’s worked perfectly well for years.The waste of radios will be shocking.The digital TV switchover has NOT been sucessful where l live,l can’t get half the channels it says l should! Regards,River