Ofcom 'Future of Radio' - responses now available

All the non-confidential responses to the Ofcom Future of Radio consultation have now been posted on the Ofcom website.

Mike Barraclough has provided a summary of two responses, that of the BBC and the Radio Centre with regard to their views on DRM.

BBC Response

The BBC has given its views on DRM in sections 17 and 18 of its response to the Future of Radio consultation, sections 14, 15 and 16 state that the BBC remains a major user of medium wave, Five Live having a weekly reach of 6 million and it being an important and integral part of local and regional coverage :

17. Given our usage of medium wave, and the potential short-comings of local radio on DAB, we have begun a trial of the only alternative digital radio technology which seems suitable for this waveband: digital radio mondiale (DRM).

The trial is re-using the frequency for BBC Radio Devon in Plymouth, converting this to DRM operation, and then researching the reaction to it with a specially selected audience panel. The transmission has been in operation since the end of April 2007 and it is too early to draw any conclusions from the trial. Nevertheless, it demonstrates that DRM on medium wave in the UK from an existing transmitting station is technically possible, even if there are considerable engineering challenges to be met.

18. For this reason, we consider that it is too early to determine whether DRM has a part to play in the future of radio. Just as it was with the introduction of DAB, the key will be the availability of radios which are able to receive the transmissions. We believe that the next three years will be crucial for DRM, as the intentions of radio manufacturers become better known and the technologies of choice for the future become clearer. In three years, there may well be DRM
networks on-air or planned in other countries and the use of DRM for international broadcasting may have brought the receiver market to maturity.

Similarly, over the next three years, DAB+ may have been sufficiently adopted to have become built in as default to receivers (and we note that if it did, its elements of commonality with DRM may make it easier to implement the latter in receivers also). In the same timescale, WiFi radio may be better established and Wimax might have come to fruition. To make a decision now on the choice of technology
is too soon.

The full BBC response may be downloaded at:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/
futureradio/responses/

Sections 12 to 34 give the BBC's views on use of digital technologies.

Radio Centre Response

The Radio Centre one, which reflects the views of the UK commercial radio companies, deals with DRM in sections 8.35 to 8.43 including these reservations:

8.41 The 9kHz channel spacing matrix will set an upper limit on the audio quality available for digital Medium Wave, though this would be less of an issue for speech stations.
Although the BBC is engaged in a year long trial of DRM in medium wave at Plymouth (see Appendix D), not enough is known yet about propagation characteristics at these frequencies for digital signals. The majority (by listener hours) of AM broadcasting is already simulcast on DAB, so operators may not be inclined to invest in often ageing MF transmission systems for DRM.

8.42 But the biggest single risk to adopting DRM in the Medium Wave band is uncertainty over the availability of suitable receivers. Although there are around half a dozen sets available from specialist suppliers, DRM is a long way from the high street and a mass consumer proposition. It is too early to provide any reliable forecast of set penetration, especially in regard to the price elasticity of demand, and more work is required. Until this has been done, which would be part of the responsibilities of the working group, we cannot rule out the possibility that DRM for domestic broadcasting could suffer complete market failure.

8.43 Our conclusion, then, is that while it is feasible from a
technical and frequency planning point of view to convert existing MF assignments to DRM, much more information is needed before decisions are made. However, although DRM at MF is a long term proposition, these decisions need to be informed by rigorous analysis, and a clear signal sent to set manufacturers in particular as to the future direction. This is in line with our policy of determining the shape of radio's digital future sooner than later.

There's a later section on DRM, 8.57 to 8.63 which mentions use of DRM on 26 Mhz and VHF Band 1 and 2 and concludes:

8.63 We agree with Ofcom's view that DRM could be a useful complement to DAB, but recommend that frequency bands other than MW should be investigated.

The document (RadioCentre2) can be found at:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/
futureradio/responses/

Mike Barraclough

BBC Trust
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/

Radio Centre
http://www.radiocentre.org/radiocentre/
showContent.aspx?pubID=166

OFCOM Future of Radio Consultation
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/futureradio/