DAB – just an in-car option

The Ford Motor Company, although a shareholder in MXR Digital, plans to offer DAB Digital Radio in three models from later this year – but only as an option.

For the not insignificant upgrade cost of £300, future owners of new models of the Ford Focus, Ford C-MAX and Ford Kuga will be able to order their car with a Sony digital receiver.

While is expected to remain only an option for most Ford cars in the near future, one model – the Ford Kuga Titanium – will come with DAB as standard.

Car manufacturers traditionally require a very long lead-time to introduce new features and costs of DAB car units remain relatively high.    This step by Ford may be a small step in the right direction for DAB, but it seems that the important in-car radio listener market will continue to rely on AM and FM as their main means of radio reception for the immediate future.

Looking forward to the NEXT digital switchover

As the UK slowly moves into the switchoff phase of it’s analogue television services, it seems inevitable that in time MPEG-4 along with the new DVB-T2 standard will be used for Standard Definition TV services as well as HDTV. This combination would permit as many as 19 TV channels per multiplex instead of the current 8.

A complete changeover would render all existing Freeview receivers obsolete.

Last Friday, the UK regulator Ofcom published Terms of Reference for a technical pilot to trial digital TV DVB-T2 transmissions.

The pilot will help to establish the technical standards for the delivery of high definition services on digital terrestrial television. The document can be found here http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/dttfuture/pilot_tor.pdf

Ofcom, who will coordinate the pilot, has also published an open letter inviting participation in the pilot from interested parties. The letter can be found here http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/dttfuture/pilot_letter.pdf

Insight Radio for national DAB ?

Glasgow’s Insight Radio broadcasts on 101FM, from an Anniesland based transmitter, and is available throughout the UK and Europe via satellite.

The station is now reported to be in talks with DAB multiplex operators with a view to securing space on that terrestrial digital platform. This could be a national DAB network or a series of local DAB networks.

It has also been reported that the station will launch on Freesat next month.

Original 106FM Sold

Aberdeen’s Original 106FM has been sold by Canwest Media to Jonathan Arendt, Richard Johnson and current managing director Iain McKenna.

Under a licence agreement the station will continue to operate under the Original FM brand name.

Another Community Station forced to close

Just 10 months after launching, community radio station Radio Cardiff has cease broadcasting.

Radio Cardiff began broadcasting on October 8th 2007, providing local news and information with music  featuring reggae, soul, jazz, funk and house music.

The station reportedly blames the closure on a delay in funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and Cardiff County Council.

Training Fund for Gaelic TV Production

Independent TV production companies in Scotland are being invited to apply for training funding to allow them to build the staff skills necessary to provide programmes for a new Gaelic language TV channel.

The funding opportunity was notified in a press release from MG Alba:-

MG ALBA is embarking on an ambitious programme of continuing professional development for producers and freelancers working in the Gaelic television sector, to support the production of high quality Gaelic programmes for the TV schedules of the new Gaelic Digital Service, to be run in partnership by MG ALBA and the BBC.

Over a two year period, MG ALBA will commit £260k to the scheme, allowing both new entrants to the industry and established professionals to access funding for training and CPD, providing up to 50% of the cost of training plans to match participants’ own investment or funding from other sources.

Donald Campbell, Chief Executive of MG ALBA, said: “We have supported training in the Gaelic television sector for many years through the Gaelic Television Training Trust, and we recognise that CPD is increasingly important in an industry that is evolving to meet the challenge of providing high quality content in the digital age. The new Gaelic Digital Service is giving production companies and freelancers the opportunity to make more programmes and hire new staff, and we want to ensure that they have the skills they need to create the content our viewers want to watch.”

Alasdair Smith, director of Skillset Scotland, the sector skills council for creative media, welcomed the news, saying: “Skillset is delighted to see MG ALBA making such a strong commitment to skills and training at a time when broadcasting in Scotland is under such scrutiny. Broadcasting is highly dependent on the skills of its workforce, particularly as the industry adapts to meet the challenges presented by new digital technologies. The financial support will be invaluable in helping companies and freelancers meet the demands of these new challenges and I look forward to working with MG ALBA up to and beyond the launch of the new Gaelic Digital Service.”

Linda Fabiani, Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, said: “This Government is committed to strengthening the Scottish broadcasting industry, that is why we set up the Broadcasting Commission. Clearly, ensuring that the workforce has the opportunity to enhance their skills is an important factor in building the industry and this is particularly important for Gaelic broadcasting, given that the new channel will be launching soon. I am delighted that MG ALBA has made this strong commitment to supporting the training of the sector.”

Applications are invited by Friday 8 August 2008, and awards will be made by 22 August 2008. Information about eligibility criteria and further details of the scheme can be found at www.mgalba.com.

New Wave Media on the Aquisiations Trail?

Richard Findlay, former chief executive of Scottish Radio Holdings and owner of Dundee’s Wave 102, is expected to buy up five radio stations in Ireland later this week.

Findlay and his son Adam own New Wave Media and are understood to be offering more than 50 million pounds to buy the stations.

The stations are reported to be Ocean FM (Sligo/Donegal), KCLR (Kilkenny/Carlow), Tipp FM (Tipperary), KFM (Kildare) and Mid West Radio (Mayo).

Aberdeen’s Original Up For Sale ?

The north-east’s new radio station Original 106 FM could already be up for sale with owners Canwest Mediaworks reported to be preparing to exit the UK radio industry.

Canwest had previously indicated that “anything is for sale at any time at the right price” but staff at the three Canwest radio station were told on Friday that the company is “considering the sale of its radio operations”.

National DAS licence for Trafficmaster

Ofcom have announced that Trafficmaster plc have been granted a DAS (Digital Additional Services) licence for use on the national DAB multiplex.

HCJB Discontinues SSB

HCJB The Voice of the Andes have announced that they are discontinuing their 25950kHz single sideband (ssb) transmissions.

For 20 years, HCJB has been one of the few international broadcasters transmitting on ssb. The signal was often reliably receivable in many parts of the world, even in poor band conditions, despite its relatively low power of just 1kW.