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UK national radio DAB from 2015
Fri, 19 Jun 2009
The UK Government published its final Digital Britain report on 16 June with a number of actions to secure DAB digital radio as the primary radio broadcast platform in the UK. It proposes all national radio stations will be transmitted on DAB-only within 6 years, signalling the end of national FM services in the UK. A five point plan for DAB to be in all new cars by 2013 is proposed and the report calls on the European Commission to lead a common Europe-wide approach to digital radio.
The UK government proposes that radio will undergo a Digital Upgrade so that all UK national broadcast radio stations are DAB-only from the end of 2015. It recognises that existing national FM infrastructure will be at the end of its useful life and any further investment in analogue transmission would be wasted. The report requires the national BBC and commercial radio multiplexes to increase coverage to match that offered by FM now. Community radio will continue to use FM spectrum whilst local and regional DAB is to be re-planned to provide more efficient digital coverage.
Quentin Howard, President of WorldDMB, said: "We welcome this positive report and the action points to secure the take-up of digital radio. In particular, the transfer of all national stations to DAB, and cessation of FM transmission gives an unequivocal timescale for the automotive industry and receiver manufacturers. The call for a common approach to digital radio across Europe is welcomed and WorldDMB stands ready to work with the European Commission and national governments to achieve this.”The Digital Britain report also sets out a five point plan to encourage the take-up of digital radios in cars:
The WorldDMB Digital Radio Receiver Profiles, which we developed together with the European Broadcasting Union and the manufacturers trade organisation, DIGITALEUROPE (formerly EICTA) are playing an important part in enabling governments, regulators and broadcasters across Europe to plan a more certain future for digital radio. The Digital Britain Report makes specific reference to the WorldDMB Receiver Profiles and identifies the need for a common logo for digital radios, a process which has already started as part of the Receiver Profiles work.
1. Work with manufacturers so that vehicles sold with radio are digitally enabled by the end of 2013;
2. Support a common logo for digital radios and ensure that non-DAB radios, and their limitations, are clearly labelled;
3. Encourage the development of portable digital converters, such as the Pure Highway, and the integration of DAB into other vehicle devices such as sat-navs;
4. Promote the introduction of more sophisticated traffic information via DAB and comprehensive marketing by broadcasters; and
5. Work with the European partners, including the European Commission, to develop a common European approach to digital radio. We have approached the European Commission to encourage them to lead a community-wide effort. Such an approach, as was adopted in digital television, could provide certainty well in advance for vehicle manufacturers and those providing in-car devices to bring the unit price of conversion down.
Quentin Howard added, “We have already engaged with the European automotive industry to address the other points in Lord Carter's report, including using digital radio to deliver more sophisticated live traffic information directly to the car and sat-nav systems”.
Recent legislation in France requires the radios in all new cars to be digital by 2013 and the Digital Britain report mirrors that requirement through the support of the UK automotive industry which have expressed support in principle for such a recommendation.
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