BBC bullies to force DAB upon us by 2020

6th September 2008

The Digital Radio Working Group (DRWG), which is a Government "taskforce" set up last year to look at why digital radio has been selling so slowly, has published its findings in an interim report in which it made the following recommendations:

FM should be switched off by 2020
"DAB" should be the main digital radio platform going forward
All digital radio receivers should support DAB, DAB+ and DMB-A (DMB-Audio)
DAB coverage should be improved, and the BBC's national DAB multiplex should be extended to provide greater than the 90% population coverage the BBC has already committed to
Internet-based delivery should complement DAB
DAB should be heavily promoted
The BBC's FM stations should continue transmitting on FM (after they've been switched off elsewhere) in areas where it's not economically feasible to transmit DAB
Small FM stations and community stations should continue transmitting on FM

Response to DRWG report

The BBC should commit to switching its stations from using DAB to DAB+ within the next few years to vastly improve the audio quality

and

The BBC should provide HIGH audio quality on the Internet and the digital TV platforms by using higher bit rate levels
And the BBC should promote all of the platforms that carry digital radio on an equal basis
And the BBC should promote the fact that the other digital platforms provide higher audio quality than is provided on DAB

If the BBC will not do the above things:

People should oppose the BBC/DRWG's plans for digital radio, and ultimately people should try and stop the BBC switching off its FM stations

The following articles contain a more in-depth response to the DRWG's recommendations:

BBC should switch to using DAB+ within the next few years
BBC should provide high quality via the Internet
BBC would show its extreme bias if it uses lower bit rates for the live Internet streams
DRM+ should be used in the FM band, but the DRWG didn't even mention it (not finished yet)
BBC should promote the digital platforms on an equal basis (not finished yet)
They won't be able to switch off FM in 2020 anyway (not finished yet)

Have your say

The DRWG's recommendations were only published as an interim report, so there's still time for you to have your say on these issues before the DRWG makes its final recommendations to government later this year.

The DRWG was set up by Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, so I think the best person to contact with your concerns over this issue is his opposite number, Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport, whose email address is jeremyhuntmp@parliament.uk. Alternatively, you could send a message to your own MP via the theyworkforyou.com website.

Alternatively, you could make a general complaint to the BBC Trust. Don't bother wasting your time complaining to the BBC itself, because they'll just fob you off with a template email that they send to everybody who complains about DAB (the BBC always uses template emails to make it look like they've spent ages writing you a personal response, when in reality they just pick a pre-written reply and put your name at the top) and they'll basically ignore you because what you would be complaining about doesn't suit the BBC's agenda.

I would be interested in receiving any responses people receive (or emails people send), so if you could send them to me via the Contact Us page, I'd appreciate it.

Comments

DAB

By Michael Bures

13th September 2008, 20:56

Dear DRT Forum, I have always considered myself a connoisseur of High Fidelity. Two years ago I paid £600.00p to have a German make of radio fitted into my vehicle! At first it was a pleasure to get rid of the pirates ruining my listening pleasure of classical radio. I think now that deep down I was disappointed and in denial with the sound from my set and kept telling myself that I needed bigger speakers. As when I listened via the internet the sound that I was expecting on Dab is not the same quality.
Listening to a talk station recently my B.Spot kept switching backwards and forwards like a YO YO from FM to DAB with the annoyance of the sound delay then back to crackles. That’s when I googled the word DAB reception and got your article. I actually have become very annoyed to think that this was the best they could do! I will probably have to buy another set with DAB plus when eventually it takes off
I believe that the BBC was the main instigators of DAB radio in this country as far as I am concerned. But I always believe until now that they like to do things properly. But they have been attacked so much by this government they have lost their balls and seemed to be doing everything to keep up with commercial TV and radio.
Thanks for your article I will never buy again anything new that I have not heard myself first.
Yours faithfully
Michael Bures

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