The 'Great' FM Analogue Switch Off

[thinkchronicity]

Hello guys,

I stumbled across this subject last week. Don't wish to be the bearer of bad news, but I guess like TV broacasts it's gonna happen sooner or later! It appears that here in the UK the number of folks listening solely on DAB has just passed 50%, which was one of the markers the BBC at least were looking for to justify turning off the transmitters. It seems though, that for the moment, FM will continue to be served for a few years yet until the next review. I wonder what will happen in the future.....? All the major players gone and just smaller independent stations keeping FM alive? or a white noise wasteland..

Anyone got any info on what's happening in your countries? Be interesting to hear.

An author was on the radio the other day flogging his new book - "The last train to Hilversum". Ominously, it's a look at the last hundred years of analogue radio as the format reaches the end of the line. Terrible news - and DAB sounds **** for music due to the compression they use to fit in all the channels.

bummer

 

[Radio raheem]

this might kill off the boombox for me as im losing interest as it is...not that i use fm that much but it needs to be working for me, it's one thing losing analogue tv but fm that might just be to much

 

[Transistorized]

DAB is very popular in the UK but not so much if at all here in America. The GPO Brooklyn took off the DAB feature for the US models and replaced it with AM if that tells you anything. While we do have Sirius satellite in newer vehicles, most people are not willing to pay the 280 dollar annual cost associated with that and all continue to have AM/FM tuners. So here in the US, I don't see it happening anytime before I die.

 

[ralrein1]

Yep here in northern Kali FM is going strong. AM,not as much. Mostly talk radio and christian(preaching) stuff.There's one lowly music station that plays stuff like Perry Como and Frank Sinatra. So yeah seems like FM will be rockin' here for thee forseeable future.

 

[jimmyjimmy19702010]

AM and FM are both still big business here in Oz. AM radio still the number one source of cricket coverage - people listening at work or in the car tend to listen to a AM or FM uner than a data sapping APP.

 

[Superduper]

DAB doesn't even exist in North America. HD Radio (HD-FM and HD-AM) is the only system authorized by the FCC and virtually every major municipality has many HD stations to choose from. HD-AM is even broadcast in stereo with FM type quality. HD FM is supposed to be even much better. Most broadcasters also simulcast HD and analog stations on the same frequency, although you may see many HD channels within a frequency. However, that being said, there is no plans that I've ever heard of to eliminate analog stations here. In fact, most every new car only includes analog radios so that kind of tells you where radio in USA is headed (and remaining). If there was any plans to phase out analog, cars would probably be the first thing we see fitting HD radios into cars to transition for elimination in maybe a decade. Radio broadcasts are listened to in cars more than anywhere else. If we were running out of radio frequency bandwidth, that may be cause for concern. However, that isn't the case and it seems analog and HD radio can happily coexist with the HD radio systems we use here.

So if your boomboxes no longer work on radio, send them all over to the US for cheap. We need as many cheap parts as possible.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Italy is all analog. It's not going away any time soon. Plus, I have my own FM transmitter, so I just broadcast my own station to my blasters!

 

[Mystic Traveller]

DAB doesn't even exist in North America. HD Radio (HD-FM and HD-AM) is the only system authorized by the FCC and virtually every major municipality has many HD stations to choose from.

Good idea - they went in other direction than DAB - HD Radio is just adding digital "next to" analogue stations in the same frequency range. HD and DAB aren't compatible.

Italy is all analog.

Same in Russia as long as it concerns radio, they are yet to decide which way to go,
probably opt for DAB but that's still unclear Afaik.

 

[MyOhMy]

Whether or not DAB is good & convenient or otherwise - and I can only applaud the diversity of DAB channels in UK - my instincts tell me there is much more to the DAB/digital push than we are openly told, lead to believe or informed about.

Yes, I understand how every single aspect of our lives can be controlled remotely in a fully digital world but I can't see to what extent digital radio fits into this other than the total closure of all other wave bands to prevent non state sanctioned broadcasts by 'free thinkers', persona no grata, outlaws, et al.

 

[Transistorized]

So if your boomboxes no longer work on radio, send them all over to the US for cheap. We need as many cheap parts as possible.

Agreed. We'll take 'em all

 

[Radio raheem]

you can stick that right where the sun don't shine lol

 

[Dbzerk]

In Australia we have had DAB+ for some years now, but it hasn't really taken off. FM is standing its ground and internet radio seems to be more popular than DAB here.

 

[Nickeccles]

In the UK DAB hasn't been a great success & take up has been very slow..........

This has a lot to do with the fact that it is largely **** with variable bit rates & poor quality while FM continues to dominate but only just sadly!!

We will be told eventually that we must accept DAB the same way we have to accept so many other things we never wanted or asked for.........I don't own or want a DAB receiver in my home or car!! FM radio is still king for me

 

[hopey]

Its not a question of being switched off as the Spectrum is always worth money. Its whether there is a martket for the services being provided.

12 Broadcasting Services Bands On 22 December 2014, under subsection 31(1) of the Act, the then minister redesignated, with effect from 1 January 2015, a part of the spectrum as being primarily for broadcasting purposes (the broadcasting services bands) and assigned it for planning under Part 3 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan 7 The current broadcasting services bands are: > 526.5–1 606.5 kHz > 45–52 MHz and 56–70 MHz (Band I) > 85–108 MHz (Band II) > 137–144 MHz (channel 5A) > 174–230 MHz (Band III) > 520–694 MHz (Bands IV and V). These bands are used for AM and FM radio broadcasting, digital radio broadcasting and digital television broadcasting.

The biggest limitation on Digital Signal is Line of Sight. Anologue doesn't have that issue so it's great a for Emergency Services.

 

[thinkchronicity]

Italy is all analog. It's not going away any time soon. Plus, I have my own FM transmitter, so I just broadcast my own station to my blasters!

Yep, I'll have to dig out my old FM transmitter too! Is yours in stereo? Mine is mono, built it when I was 15, and it was a kit that came from Italy

Whether or not DAB is good & convenient or otherwise - and I can only applaud the diversity of DAB channels in UK - my instincts tell me there is much more to the DAB/digital push than we are openly told, lead to believe or informed about.

Yes, I understand how every single aspect of our lives can be controlled remotely in a fully digital world but I can't see to what extent digital radio fits into this other than the total closure of all other wave bands to prevent non state sanctioned broadcasts by 'free thinkers', persona no grata, outlaws, et al.

On the same wavelength with you here. I can see a campaign forming in my mind...anti digital poster with the middle digit at the fore.

Well it's good to hear that FM's not going away as soon as I was starting to think. You can shoot the messenger now!

 

[Transistorized]

Well the good news is you can edit the first post and change the subject line to say...

FM is here to stay

 

[caution]

It may be here for the time being but it does cost a lot to maintain a radio station. The transmission hardware and licensing is not cheap. Probably why 50% of air time is commercials. All the special promos, events, merchandising and so forth that goes on is key to staying afloat

 

[Eddy]

I scan the AM bands now and then. There are still a lot of UK stations on the medium wave............
I know the UK plan to switch off the FM broadcast but what about the AM ?
As for me , i don't listen to the regular FM stations . I use a FM transmitter for 10 years now.
I feed the audio from my internet radio to that transmitter . Great sound unlike the DAB . That sound is crap

 

[thinkchronicity]

I scan the AM bands now and then. There are still a lot of UK stations on the medium wave............
I know the UK plan to switch off the FM broadcast but what about the AM ?
As for me , i don't listen to the regular FM stations . I use a FM transmitter for 10 years now.
I feed the audio from my internet radio to that transmitter . Great sound unlike the DAB . That sound is crap

Hey that's a good idea! Did you build yours from a kit or off the shelf? And from where if you don't mind me asking.
I don't know about any plans to turn off am stations btw.

 

[Eddy]

I scan the AM bands now and then. There are still a lot of UK stations on the medium wave............
I know the UK plan to switch off the FM broadcast but what about the AM ?
As for me , i don't listen to the regular FM stations . I use a FM transmitter for 10 years now.
I feed the audio from my internet radio to that transmitter . Great sound unlike the DAB . That sound is crap

Hey that's a good idea! Did you build yours from a kit or off the shelf? And from where if you don't mind me asking.
I don't know about any plans to turn off am stations btw.
I'm from Belgium. I built a few kits myself and they work like a charm. Don't want to risk anything as their power is too high for Euro regulations
Only 50nW is allowed. I use a broadcastvision FM 3000 i bought from Epay once. Works great around the house . Sounds way better than the regular FM stations with their overprocessed sound