The great thing about FM, FM-stereo, and AM is that it's so easy and cheap(!) to make your own low power transmitter. So whatever format the music originally gets to you in, you can always rebroadcast it in your home, to your favourite 1940s, 50s, 60's 70's receiver.
I take no real interest in digital radio, but where does stuff like "Worldspace" fit in? Who uses that and why?
I take no real interest in digital radio, but where does stuff like "Worldspace" fit in? Who uses that and why?
I think it's unlikely that all of Africa, South America, Asia the Caribbean or the Pacific will abandon analogue broadcasting for a very long time to come, simply on economic grounds. A radio is a serious and valuable purchase for a huge proportion of the world's population.
Add that to the fact that the USA and Japan have rejected DAB and it looks as if FM will be around for a long time to come
jeff spall said:
That's probably true for the countries you're mention but this thread is about the situation in Europe/UK where we are plagued with stupid/restrictive/thoughtless regulations and laws. Regarding the future ending of analog broadcasting in Europe (where I live) the damage is already done. It's only a matter of years before analog FM will disappear for ever. (next deadline is 2015) BTW, doesn't analog terrestrial (NTSC) television broadcasting ceased in the US ?
As far a South Africa is concerned: "Digital migration only affects analogue television. There are currently no plans to replace FM services, which will still be around for quite some time," the Auckland Park-based corporation says in its DTT guidelines' report titled 'SABC - Moving towards a Digital Future'."
One point that hasn't been raised so far is that the incentive to ditch FM for DAB is not nearly as strong as that to ditch PAL for DVB. Analogue television (PAL) wastefully occupies an enormous amount of bandwidth that is not needed for DVB, so the UK government is looking forward to a bandwidth bonanza similar to that when they flogged the G3 mobile telephone licences. Of course, that G3 auction caused the later collapse of a number of communications companies, but after bailing out our banks, our government needs every billion it can find.
Conversely, FM doesn't occupy much bandwidth, and it's hard to see what use you could sell it for. The frequency allocation isn't ideal for mobile use (an effective aerial is quite large), so it's hard to see who would buy it. Still, governments have never let logic get in their way before...
Conversely, FM doesn't occupy much bandwidth, and it's hard to see what use you could sell it for. The frequency allocation isn't ideal for mobile use (an effective aerial is quite large), so it's hard to see who would buy it. Still, governments have never let logic get in their way before...
Well, driving around yesterday I noticed another very compelling reason for keeping FM after 2015:
The OEM nav systems built into a lot of very expensive cars will be obsolete.
But satnavs don't use FM radio?
Oh yes they do.
The TMC data that steers them around traffic and draws those little road sign things on the screen is carried on FM (Classic FM in the UK) and if that goes then the nav systems will be pretty well crippled. TMC could be broadcast on DAB but it's not yet and I don't see owners taking very kindly to having a couple of thousand pounds worth of kit made redundant.
The OEM nav systems built into a lot of very expensive cars will be obsolete.
But satnavs don't use FM radio?
Oh yes they do.
The TMC data that steers them around traffic and draws those little road sign things on the screen is carried on FM (Classic FM in the UK) and if that goes then the nav systems will be pretty well crippled. TMC could be broadcast on DAB but it's not yet and I don't see owners taking very kindly to having a couple of thousand pounds worth of kit made redundant.
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