What Alot of Information About Broadcasting Is Being Issued

before Christmas. Why? Are they hoping the stories will be forgotten about or missed by the public at this time of the year?

I am unable to let go of the broadcasting side of my blog at present. I'd love to write a specific blog on one particular subject but here in the UK the one I would love to write about has little if any information readily available for me to source(even if using the internet)and one occasion I looked into having a book imported via a bookstore I was talking of a major financial decision(I think it was going to cost somewhere in the region of £100 for one book!)The interest being Old Time Radio as heard in the USA.

But I do not need to as long as I can access sites such as I have links to the left hand side of this blog and though I cannot always respond, I can read wonderful blogs etc... as The Easy Ace I am obviously a fan so have to get one last mention in for the time being. So much to read including the archive section.

So for the minute I have a bee in my bonnet regarding the changes happening in radio broadcasting. Its been plodding along quite nicely and what is on offer has not changed greatly for the past 40 years. What is causing the change is the way we access radio with new technology and how suddenly how some media companies are diversifying and see radio as the next important thing to become involve in and invest and at the back of the minds of the commercial broadcasters, they must be thinking that there is money to be made. Suddenly large global companies are looking at the British broadcasting media. They already have in countries such as the States. They did over 50 years ago. Newspapers and movie studios were involved. Its still relatively new over here though you can find examples throughout our broadcasting histories.

British television companies are thinking of getting into the radio business. Why? There has to be a rabbit off. Is it that they see television growth and the companies advertising with them slowing down? Newspapers are also struggling with fewer readers and advertisement revenue coming in so they have to look to other businesses. Are we going to see suddenly stations offering subscription radio rather than free to air(paid for from a licence fee as in the BBC)or supported by commercials?

For anyone living abroad BBC Radio is paid for out of an annual licence fee that all households are supposed to pay if they own a television set. Even if you do not watch BBC television, if you a tv receiver you pay the annual fee. On the other hand if you do not own a tv set but have a radio and access BBC Radio, you can listen for free and do not have to pay for a radio licence and you also can access the BBC's website in the UK without having licence.

Some of the sudden interest in radio is because the rules and regulations have been changed by the Government and the regulatory body Ofcom(you can decide how independent the regulator is from the Government)

So surprise, surprise newspaper companies are now involved in or eyeing up radio stations. They have become more and more involved with television so it was bound to happen. You diversify, right?

So The Guardian Newspaper reports today
The Guardian Media Group is believed to be weighing up a bid for Saga's four radio licences, valued at between £60m and £100m. You can see the article at the above link...its free but you do need to register.

Saga - which offers products ranging from holidays to insurance to the over-50s - runs three lucrative regional FM stations in the east Midlands, West Midlands and Glasgow.
It has also won a fourth licence to launch a station in the north-east next year.

My little knowledge of Saga Radio and what I was looking forward to starting next year in my area has me wondering would this new outfit change the format that Saga has built up over the years to be a successful Broadcaster. I was happy to see Saga was awarded the license because its as close to the station I want to hear and the other companies trying to win the licence were all offering what we already can access from so many stations on air already. Nothing new. The worry is that now this will happen and the new owners will change how the station sounds.


Tied in with the changes in how we receive broadcasts is a further press release from the Broadcast regulator Ofcom saying what I suggested was the reason for switching off analogue tv and eventually radio ages ago but is not much talked of to the public at large(just those in the business)or who have more of an interest in the media than the average person in the street who judges only by what they see or hear.
Ofcom plans its largest auction of the radio spectrum included what is considered prime frequencies to be handed over to high tech use and is available due the spectrum being freed up by digital television switchover.

So once again how much of this is driven to give the viewer and listener the best of broadcasting quality and content and how much is an excuse to raise extra revenue?

BTW have you seen which station plans to come back, it did some broadcasting on Astra's satellite carried on Sky's platform years ago having closed down its AM frequency but then closed the satellite feed too. Radio Luxembourg plans a relaunch of its English service.

And finally The Netherlands has beaten the UK to switching off its analogue tv transmitters.

Update on the Dutch Switch Off There have been problems...