Listened to an interesting Podcast* this morning on the future of Radio and DAB in particular. It raised some good points about how DAB is fast becoming the bridge between FM and the internet, the latter being the eventual medium through which we will listen to "radio".
This got me thinking and here are some random thoughts.
- Does DAB exist in America? If it does, what's it like and what does it broadcast that FM radio can't?
- If the answer to 1 above is no, then DAB surely never had a future!
- Once the BBC puts either an App on iTunes or flash on the iPhone then streaming BBC content could become so easy that why would you want a DAB radio?
- The Car. While podcasts, music and silence offer good alternatives, listening to the radio in the car would still be a good percentage of driver's first choice. Listening to DAB radio in a car is, in my experience, at best frustrating, at worst downright dangerous. I have both a portable DAB and one that that attaches to my iPod. That latter is so cumbersome as to be almost impossible to set up. The former just plugs in to my car stereo via the same lead as my iPod. The reception with both is patchy at best, which is mainly down to ariel issues. I haven't ever been in a car with DAB "plumbed in" so that may be a completely different experience, but if DAB radio is to have a future, good in car reception is vital.
- Commercial radio in this country is doomed if it doesn't realise that "personality" is still a big driver in peoples listening habits. Look at the listener figures for Moyles, Wogan, and Ross etc... Commercial radio is mainly made up of pre-recorded segments dropped into playlists. If therefore you work in an office which has one of these stations on all day (which occasionally I do) this means that you will hear more or less the same songs throughout the day. Let's be honest Chris Moyles can go 10/15 minutes without playing any music and we love him for it.
- It is possible to still do the cheaper pre-recorded version with personality. Planet Rock uses Rick Wakeman on Saturday morning to broadcast from 10 until 1pm. It's clearly pre-recorded. Last Friday & Saturday he was at Hampton Court performing "The Six wives of Henry VIII" live, so I guess he was tucked up in bed, while his virtual self was on the radio. Still a good show though with great music and lots of humour. But I tune in to listen to him.
- DAB only really exists for me to listen to Radio 5 live, Radio 5 live sports extra (i.e. Test match cricket commentary) and Planet Rock. Put them on FM I'd be happy to see DAB filed under Betamax & HDD.
*Guardian Media podcast available via iTunes called "Six weeks to save digital radio"
1 comment:
DAB doesn't exist here. The closest equvilent is HD Radio, but only works on a regional basis - so you're no better off than if you had regular FM.
However, WOXY broadcasts over-air (locally) on WVXU's 2nd digital channel (you bet its complicated!) which is nice for Lu - BUT I had to buy her a special HD Radio to allow her to do so.
You can buy car stereos that have HD Radio built in, but like Britain, the service is spotty. I suspect the service and choice of HD statios is better in the bigger cities (NY, Chicago, LA, etc).
Cincy isn't exactly known for its forward-thinking attitude.
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