Home > Archives

Articles about DAB digital radio

Asian savings

Published 14 March 2011

To be honest I really wasn’t expecting this U-turn over the planned closure of the BBC Asian Network radio station, even though the BBC Trust’s reprieve of BBC Radio 6…

Who not to trust

Published 14 December 2010

The BBC Trust has predictably had a rough ride since its inception, especially as it was initially created through political expediency as opposed to a natural requirement for change, therefore…

Not much to love

Published 24 November 2010

Whilst everyone else is currently thinking about other, much more pressing matters such as the economy, student fees or a certain wedding, the UK radio industry is still fretting to…

Removing target dates for digital radio switchover can only be a sensible move

Published 8 July 2010

What can really be said about the decision to abandon the 2015 date for digital radio switchover, other than, it’s rather sensible?

6music saved

Published 5 July 2010

Sssh! Don’t tell anyone but I’ve always had this secret fantasy life. It was that one day I’d end up working behind the scenes at BBC Radio 6 music.

NME Radio RIP

Published 12 June 2010

One of the few stations which would have benefited from the possible demise of BBC Radio 6music, has put up the shutters.

The 6 Music effect

Published 13 May 2010

It seems that the widely-publicised campaign to save BBC Radio 6 Music from threatened closure has not only significantly increased the station’s weekly reach – having now passed the magic…

Saving local radio?

Published 15 April 2010

On 5 April 2010 Pennine FM became the latest in a list of smaller commercial radio stations to shut down and hand back its licence to Ofcom.

Extra marketing

Published 12 April 2010

If BBC management weren’t planning to close any radio stations, the repositioning of 1Xtra as a closer relation to Radio 1 would make sense from a marketing perspective because at…

Sacrificial lamb

Published 26 February 2010

BBC ‘to axe radio stations and halve website’ in strategic review The Times: BBC signals an end to era of expansion (enjoy it free whilst you can) It seemed that…

Radio and Britain’s Digital Future

Published 1 July 2009

If we’re keeping DAB, we need to upgrade it to use modern codecs. But why not skip all that and move the “radio space” to IP networks? However, you can’t do that until there is a national broadband infrastructure that will need a lot more than copper-based 2Mb/s. So until then, maybe keeping FM is the thing to do…

Mostly meaningless

Published 21 May 2009

Ed Richards warns against setting ‘meaningless’ radio switchoff date Today’s Radio 3.0 conference in London seems to have basically regurgitated the usual set of proclamations along with a few announcements…

Satellite switchoff

Published 21 May 2009

Radio Today: Bauer withdraws from Sky platform If you want further evidence that commercial radio is still in a spot of bother despite a healthy number of listeners, look no…

Choice, but not too much of it

Published 27 April 2009

Government must be bolder on digital radio, says Global chief Stephen Miron You can clearly hear the sound of desperation in Stephen Miron’s voice as he pleads to central government…

Over-egging the pudding?

Published 23 April 2009

It’s not been long since the counter was started but already we’re heading for the sixth radio station to close.

Confidence trick

Published 17 February 2009

Commercial radio could launch new digital stations if regulation is eased So what has the RadioCentre got up its sleeve to save DAB from the jaws of possible obsolescence/apathy caused…

Stepwise migration

Published 29 January 2009

digital britain – interim report: Government outlines plans for UK’s digital transition Today saw the publication of (Lord) Stephen Carter’s interim report entitled “Digital Britain”, which in one sense is…

On the sidelines

Published 6 November 2008

UTV criticises Channel 4 for backing out of digital radio project It may be true that if Channel 4 Radio had been up and running two years ago it could…

Future lessons from the past

Published 13 October 2008

As someone who remains of the opinion that what the British Government did in the years 1945-51 to establish major post-war institutions (despite the country being nearly bankrupt) was brilliant…

Nothing but static

Published 10 October 2008

Channel 4 axes radio projects With hindsight this decision was fairly predictable – especially given the current economic situation – but Channel 4 deciding to axe its digital radio project…

The rules have changed

Published 16 July 2008

The “what’s on” wars: BBC Local vs commercial radio Now is not a good time to be involved in commercial UK radio, it seems. Advertisers are trimming their marketing budgets…

On the wrong wavelength

Published 28 April 2008

Digital radio needs a makeover, says Ofcom According to Peter Davis who is Ofcom’s director of radio and multimedia, DAB just requires a “Freeview-style relaunch” and also claims that “It’s…

Is DAB Dead?

Published 8 April 2008

What is really going on?

We’re not talking about it…

Published 30 March 2008

As if GCap Media’s stance on DAB was not obvious enough already, listeners to Classic FM who have not been blasted or lulled into inattention by the ads in the…

More gloom for DAB

Published 28 March 2008

Digital Spy: Channel 4’s DAB mux faces more delays This isn’t really that surprising but such news will just conspire to add more gloom to radio industry executives; it now…

Dead And Buried?

Published 9 March 2008

Is DAB on the way out?

Selling the white elephant

Published 6 March 2008

The Register: DAB: A very British failure Radio Today: Secret DAB talks at RadioCentre The recent news of GCap’s intention to almost totally withdraw from the DAB digital radio platform…

Bad timing

Published 4 March 2008

Digital radio rift at Channel 4 Channel 4 has a countdown conundrum all of its own to solve, namely whether to press ahead full steam with the launch of three…

GCap’s DAB debacle

Published 11 February 2008

As my colleagues here have been reporting here on the MediaBlog, GCap have annouced the sale of Xfm outside London, the closure of all GCap’s digital-only stations on the national…

The GCap/DAB saga continues

Published 11 February 2008

The GCap/DAB story just keeps coming up with new twists as more articles get published. In an article about the economic viability of DAB on the Media Guardian website, there’s an interesting comment from Fru Hazlitt.

GCap Abandons XFM

Published 11 February 2008

Whilst most of the emphasis has gone onto GCap closing digital stations and selling its stake in DigitalOne, this mornings announcement also included some other major news that stands the chance of being less widely considered by the press. GCap are selling XFM.

On the brink of disaster?

Published 10 February 2008

Times Online: GCap’s Fru Hazlitt switches off digital radio What ostensibly seems like a short-term cost cutting measure in a bid to make GCap seem more profitable for potential suitors…

Report talks down DAB radio, with dubious accuracy.

Published 29 January 2008

Enders Analysis have done something that the radio industry wanted them to do. A couple of radio bigwigs have been talking about a crisis in DAB digital radio, a crisis…

Digital One suffers more closures

Published 12 January 2008

As my colleagues have already pointed out, DAB, or more precisely the Digital One multiplex, has lost two more stations. Oneword’s closure was not a big surprise, it was expected…

Not just Oneword

Published 10 January 2008

Two digital radio stations to close Barely two weeks into 2008 and digital radio has now lost not one but two radio stations. The final closure of Oneword was just…

Digital delay

Published 11 December 2007

Channel 4 speech radio launch delayed Whilst television is moving full steam ahead towards the main part of the region-by-region analogue TV transmitter switchoff, digital radio has been encountering more…

Ralph Bernard and words of wisdom… Not!

Published 26 November 2007

This one crossed the wires whilst I was at the RMC newsdesk, and once again, it had me shaking my head in pure disbelief at how out of touch with…

Reception trouble

Published 28 March 2007

Channel 4 queries rival digital radio bid The National Grid Wireless Bid The 4 Digital bid Today was the deadline for the submission of bids to run the new second…

The great “digital is better” myth, part 641594827

Published 31 December 2006

Wave farewell to AM radio, say experts The Telegraph talks of “the higher quality of digital broadcasts”. Compared with? FM? Erm… potentially, yes; unfortunately, most stations on DAB are streamed…

BBC 7: A good reason for DAB

Published 30 June 2005

It’s interesting that my colleague mentions the competition between OneWord and BBC (Radio) 7. I’ve discovered that when I listen to the radio, I’m listening more and more to BBC…

Multiperplexing

Published 24 May 2004

Multiplexing doesn’t work

Noises off

Published 1 January 2004

Does anyone give a stuff about sound quality?

Pure Evoke II

Published 1 January 2004

Reviewed: The ultimate portable DAB/FM radio

DABtastic?

Published 1 May 2003

It has well and truly arrived, but is it worth switching?

Unto the wasteland

Published 1 September 2001

ITV1 is safe, bland, boring and dull says Anthony Heathfield

Next Page »
A member of the Transdiffusion Broadcasting System
Liverpool, Tuesday 19 March 2024