DAB The Next Stage...

Last Friday with what appears to have been little or no publicity(and unless you are in the business)Ofcom the broadcasting regulatory body advertised the next stage in the DAB broadcasting debacle. When the announcement of the successful candidate is released 10 national digital Radio stations could be available to the British public. Well more choice I guess and hopefully offered at a higher bitrate and in stereo. I also hope with enough diversity so its not offering similar programming to what is already available as often one broadcaster is offering much as another.

The battle for the most valuable radio licence Ofcom still has to offer officially kicked off today, with Channel 4 and founding Freeview shareholder National Grid Wireless going head-to-head for the deal.

I'm not too happy with one of the applicants known to be bidding to run the next stage that's Channel 4 television. It probably hopes that its reputation for innovative television will work in its favour but very little of its output in my eyes over recent years seems to qualify its promise when it started and in a complicated agreement forced onto broadcasters by the Government and regulatory bodies, Channel 4 was given access to some of the money ITV made from advertising(that always seemed strange to me)

That would like me working, being successful and then handing my profit to a competitor. In recent years there has been talk of Channel4 struggling what with a squeeze of commercial revenue and a drop in viewers etc...that some of the money raised from the licence fee which finances the BBC should go to Channel 4. Then was talk of a new commercial television station being given the go ahead to receive money form the licence fee and to try offer a public service remit and not be under the BBC's control. Again that does seem strange to take money destined to one broadcaster to be taken away to another competitor. The only advantage is that you have another station offering news(as that was to be one of its strands)produced by a new and hopefully unbiased organisation but again as much of its output will be gathered from news agencies as is already used by all news channels in the UK already how much different can it be and since this idea was muted some years ago, has anyone heard anything more on this proposal?

Since then, we have also had more news channels start up Al-Jazeera English service and soon there will be a news station financed by the French Government and I understand others will follow next year. Channel 4 very much want to push that they will offer an alternative competition for Public Service radio wise to rival the BBC. But why does it need to be them? So far on their service carried on the net all they have offered are programmes based or associated with the old music show The Tube, Popworld, Big Brother and perhaps the only real quality programme which is based on Channel 4 News this is now heard weekday mornings on a station that Channel 4 is involved with known as Oneword.

Since it came under new management the listings I have seen suggest that the content aimed at younger elements of the audience have been dropped.

A Channel 4 spokesperson talks up content that is contemporary speech and music wise but we get that already across the board with the existing commercial radio industry and yes BBC. And Big Brother is quality?

So Channel 4 are really looking to run the system and content. At least the alternative wants more to run the licence more neutrally by not having input onto the content of those stations that they carry. Others unknown companies could bid for the licences but with approx 105 days to get your application in, that's not long for such an important slice of the UK's broadcasting future. Why the rush? Should I be suspicious that the decision seems to be being made so quickly. The stations could be running as early as 2008. And of course not all 10 stations are necessarily going to ready all at the same time. They could in theory come on stream at a variety at times.

I would love to see some more speech orientated broadcasting but I don't want to see more talking heads, I am unsure that we need even more news. Music wise there are golden oldie stations, Rock and pop abounding. Many years ago before Classic FM was awarded a National Licence and to be fair has proved to be popular and gained an audience not necessarily only interested in "Pop" or "Chart" music I seem to remember that there was an applicant or talk of a station playing music based on musicals etc...I still believe that there is room for a station playing melodic music and that could take in so many genres under such a large umbrella. Music from the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's. Vocal and instrumental of many kinds not heard already these days. Digital radio can narrow cast to a specific audience, on the other hand if its a national station there could still be enough listeners to make it viable and if its trying to promote more of a public service remit perhaps it should be looking just at getting the largest ratings.