UK FM broadcasts to cease in 2015

[Steerpike]

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?

[Tubologic]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by smiler

My French isn't great, but I understood the gist of that bit of the paper. However, this conference isn't law, and most European nations don't even have DAB (as previously mentioned). TV switch off is generally going to plan though it seems.

Sure,the Geneva conference is not law, but this proposition has been voted an approved by the Belgian government on October 13th 2006 and this IS definitely a law. No doubt other European countries will follow soon.


Brilliant point! Portable FM transmitters perhaps? Like the Pure Highway. In reality though, I doubt they'll ever turn off FM and AM.

Very likely there will be a transition period but (analog )AM/FM is doomed to oblivion and will disappear (at least in Europe) . Question is no longer IF, but WHEN. FYI, DAB is already in service in many European countries.

[jeff spall]

AM/FM is doomed to oblivion and will disappear

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

[Tubologic]

Originally posted by jeff spall


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

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 ?

[Steerpike]

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'."

[EC8010]

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...

[AuroraB]

Originally posted by EC8010
Still, governments have never let logic get in their way before...

From the many interpretations of Murphy:

" Neither Life, Health or Property is safe when the Legislators are in session"

[jeff spall]

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.