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Digital radio: when more means less
138/Steve Lax
An advantage of digital broadcasting over analogue is that more stations can be broadcast on the available frequencies. A typical radio listener might receive twice as many stations on a digital receiver than on analogue.This should be good news. We could see an explosion of styles of programming, with stations serving the full range of community interests. But it doesn’t seem to be working out quite like that.
Digital stations are transmitted in bundles called multiplexes. Whoever operates the multiplex decides which stations will be carried. Under the 1996 Broadcasting Act all but one (reserved for the BBC) of the 48 local and national multiplex licences have been awarded to consortia of the five companies that already dominate UK commercial radio. So it is not surprising that the stations most commonly carried on a given multiplex are those already owned by the multiplex operating companies.
This changes the broadcasting landscape: for example, Xfm is a London-based analogue station, owned by Capital Radio. But Capital has a stake in multiplexes across the country, and Xfm is carried on those. So a local station becomes effectively national. Suddenly it’s more attractive to advertisers.
The structure of digital radio also makes it difficult for marginal voices to find a place. In analogue radio, there is at least some scope for small-scale stations: access radio, low power and restricted service licences for example. These are not to be found on digital radio—there is no commercial interest for multiplex operators in carrying small stations, and certainly no regulatory requirement.
Now the chairman of GWR is calling for the government to announce the switch-off of analogue radio. Whilst the potential for digital radio to enhance diversity goes unrealised, and further concentration and less choice continue, that call should be rejected.
Last modified: Monday, February 2, 2004
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