OK with your FM radio going silent in 5 years?

[Greydj]

As you may have heard, this Government is planning to continue with the Labour plan to shut down FM radio in 2015.

This will reduce to silence virtually all FM radios installed in cars as well as the traffic updates on Sat-Navs requiring their replacement with new digital radio capable units if you want to continue listening to the radio and TA announcements. How this will be done is uncertain but will almost certainly eliminate those of us who still use cassettes!

In many ways this can be regarded as a 'stealth' tax (due to the VAT revenue) as digital radio is inferior in quality to FM.

If you do not want this to happen please add your comment on the 'Have your say' site that the Government has set up on doing away with unwanted legislation. This topic is now the one getting the most requests. You will find it at

Repealing unnecessary laws — HMG - Your Freedom

and there is a simple 'instant' register procedure you have to go through.

[Giles]

[MSG] I'm more inclined to think of this as an excuse for those that do not like change, or are so self focused they don't want change, to moan and try and get a petition started.

I think it's about time this old technology died and let the new take over and be developed.
After all it's not exactly 'instant' is it - how long has DAB been around?

Of course I'm sure there are those that think they should be cuddled and kissed just because they want to stay with very old technology - and so expect a disproportinate amount of money to be spent on running that technology in tandam just because they don't want to join those who want progress.

Very selfish view point - as in effect they're asking us many to pay up to support the few (I wonder if they work for BA or the post offce?).

It's funny though - look back over the last 100/150 years at the amazing development of thsi country. The railways, the factories, automation of industry, farming etc etc. Everything that I bet these same people hold up as part of the 'Great' British history, yet I bet there was the same resistance to change then.
Albeit of course money and social stature then provailed (and in hindsight probably a good thing too).

IMO fm has run it's course. Let it die (and throw all your tapes onto a few gig memory card). [/MSG].

[TINTIN]

[MSG] I'm more inclined to think of this as an excuse for those that do not like change, or are so self focused they don't want change, to moan and try and get a petition started.

I think it's about time this old technology died and let the new take over and be developed.
After all it's not exactly 'instant' is it - how long has DAB been around?

Of course I'm sure there are those that think they should be cuddled and kissed just because they want to stay with very old technology - and so expect a disproportinate amount of money to be spent on running that technology in tandam just because they don't want to join those who want progress.

Very selfish view point - as in effect they're asking us many to pay up to support the few (I wonder if they work for BA or the post offce?).

It's funny though - look back over the last 100/150 years at the amazing development of thsi country. The railways, the factories, automation of industry, farming etc etc. Everything that I bet these same people hold up as part of the 'Great' British history, yet I bet there was the same resistance to change then.
Albeit of course money and social stature then provailed (and in hindsight probably a good thing too).

IMO fm has run it's course. Let it die (and throw all your tapes onto a few gig memory card). [/MSG].

lmao say it how it is why dont you lmao

[Benn]

But surely digi is better quality that FM.

[Greydj]

Not sure how to take that, and I certainly don't want to be cuddled and kissed.

Personally, I am all for change when change results in some kind of improvement or benefit. That is what happened in, as you mention, the Industrial Revolution, when new technology resulted in huge advances in productivity and life in general.

It has also happened with the move from analogue to digital TVs (more channels, better performance), which has been met with very little objection from anyone as there were no real losers. But with radio, there is no benefit to the users of a change (quite the reverse), the only benefit is to the (Chinese) equipment producers, the networks and the Government.

In the UK the digital radio system chosen has a worse performance than FM, for example, would you rip CDs at the 96k bit compression rate radio uses? I wouldn't. Also, with a set top box you can still use the old TV. No such device exists with radio so every radio currently in use in the country will have to be junked. For no performance benefit!

There is actually a reverse argument, why have digital radio at all if it is nor progress?

[Greydj]

But surely digi is better quality that FM.

Definitely not. FM is almost uncompressed whilst digital radio goes out at 96k, much worse than even the lowest 128k that people would consider for MP3. To do a test, rip a track at 96k and see how it sounds.

Most of the rest of Europe has gone for 128k but the BBC went for more channels at a higher compression rather than matching FM quality with fewer channels.

[Giles]

If DAB is truely a poorer perfoming medium than fm then you may certainly have a valid point.

But saying that - I'm not sure how many of us actually pick up this crystal clear fm sound due to the interferance which is so common around us (especially in a moving car).
Indeed maybe only the very very few people with static high-end fm receivers, in an ideal listening environment (ie not car) actually hear any appreciable differance in a fm Vs dab broadcast.

In fact I've never heard anyone with a dab tuner complain of a poorer sound.

However even if fm is technically 'better' I'm not sure it is worth not pursuing dab. Indeed pushing it maybe the best way to see improvements in it.

[Benn]

I always notice the difference between Radio1 and the local stations.

[Jasovanooo]

dab is next to useless tbh and that "interference" you get occasionally on fm is just a cut off point on digital no hiss just scrambled mess

i like many people listen to radio via my phone at work and as such will be ****ed by dab as it cant get any stations anywere near our place


AND and this is my biggest point. DAB has already been bypassed imo by internet radio and with the advent of mobile network based internet access internet buffered radio in car is a far more appealing idea imo than the **** on dab

ive rigged my car pc to recieve internet radio and tbh its pretty mint and it cant be too long before alpine/kenwood etc start having it built in

[Dom]

You'll be able to use a retrofit DAB receiver which broadcasts on the normal FM range to save you having to replace your in car system. All is not lost.

And I thought it was just the BBC stations moving while the independents could stay on FM if they wished.

[Hoof Hearted]

I don't get your point about us Cassette users, well written post though.

[hay_lewis_68]

DAB does have its advantages though, like being able to pick up radio stations you would otherwise not be able to get in your area (i.e. i cant get Kerrang! where i live except with freeview, which is arguably the only half decent station being broadcast) but with a DAB tuner in the car, i'll never have to hear Katy Perry or Tinee Tempah ever again WIN imo

also: lmao at the [MSG] - [/MSG] tags

[Statto]

Hmm cant see my bosses getting a new radio for the works van......buggger!