Introduction
The future is digital. The UK Government says so! The BBC
started broadcasting DAB radio in 1995 (Wikipedia),
but take-up of DAB radio has been slow, and all discussion over whether and
when major broadcasters should turn off their FM transmissions has been controversial
to say the least! The UK Government had planned a date in 2015 for the radio “digital
switchover”, but in an action plan published in December 2013, it was conceded that
the criteria of an acceptable level of national DAB coverage and uptake by the
general public meant that a date for the eventual switchover would be much
further in the future.
Do we want DAB? Will DAB ever replace FM? Personally I
believe that the Government and broadcasters would be better writing off the
investment in DAB and moving straight to Internet radio. Currently we receive many
kinds of services “over the air” or over cable - FM and DAB radio, Freeview and
subscription TV, landline and mobile phones, along with broadband Internet and
3G/4G. As we move to higher speed and greater availability of Internet
services, surely the goal should be to move all services onto the Internet - broadband
in the home, workplace, and wherever wi-fi is available, and 3G/4G where not,
particularly in the motor car.
Let's choose to move forward!
It is easy to turn on a radio - it does not require any
preparation other than to ensure that you have a radio of some form wherever you
want to listen to it. It is also easy to complain that there is nothing of
interest on the radio, even if you have 40 DAB stations available at the touch
of a button. I am afraid that it is TOO easy to turn on a radio - we are now in
an age when we should shake off the concept of real time radio broadcasts. Why
should we be tied to live radio when there are “listen again” services and
podcasts?
If the Government were to switch off FM and DAB broadcasts
today, there would be a huge outcry. We are just not ready to listen over the Internet
exclusively. But surely that time must come, and we can each choose to start
making that move now. It is easier to make the move than many people realise,
but there is significant scope for broadcasters to make it even easier. We
rarely need live radio broadcasts - I can see the case for live breaking news
and sport. But music? Magazine programmes? Documentaries and general
entertainment? All of these could be made available as podcasts or downloads,
and then your media device only needs occasional connections to the Internet to
obtain the latest programs, and you can listen to a programme from the start,
at the time of your choosing.
I'm dreaming - but it could happen!
I am dreaming of a car radio that I can switch on, and it
starts playing the latest Radio 4 Today or PM programme at the moment that I
turn it on.
I am dreaming of a subscription service to radio programmes,
where I can choose the programmes that I am interested in, and choose the
features that I am interested in. I should be able to configure my media device
with the subscription, and then let it download the programmes and make them
available to me in a form that is as easy to use as a current FM or DAB radio.
Oh, and no sport please! I would like the Radio 4 Today and PM programmes with
the sports bulletins cut out!
I understand that Spotify provides a similar kind of service
with music - I have never tried Spotify as I do not listen to a lot of music.
However, the services that I want are available now (with the exception of the
edited versions of the Today and PM programmes); it simply takes a bit of
effort to download the podcasts and ensure that they are available on my media
devices when I want them. I have a lot more choice, because half of the
podcasts to which I listen are not available on any radio station, FM, DAB or
Internet.
Looking forward
As I find time, I hope to be able to prepare more articles
about exploiting podcast technology - both for listening and for preparing your
own podcasts.
