FM Radio

John_G66

The wifes just turned up with a new FM (Not Digital) radio from Tesco. But is'nt the FM signal about to go ?

OK_Sauce

I doubt it, otherwise there would be several million motorists with redundant radios. TV maybe going full-time digitally soon, but radio is a long way off!

nomoneytoday

IIRC the changeover date is 2016, so you should get some use from the wireless

debitcardmayhem

John_G66 wrote: »

The wifes just turned up with a new FM (Not Digital) radio from Tesco. But is'nt the FM signal about to go ?

Yeah it will (maybe 2016 mebbe not) but where I live I can't get DAB unless I use the Internet/Sky or sit on the roof with a portable or a rooftop aerial .
Cost benefit analysis = cost of radio from Tesco / 6 = you work out the cost , don't berate the lovely lady , dim the lights in the bedroom, switch on the radio and turn up the volume if she moans a lot:D

Taffybiker

John_G66 wrote: »

The wifes just turned up with a new FM (Not Digital) radio from Tesco. But is'nt the FM signal about to go ?

In a word - no.

Conflict

The digital bill that is currently going through parliament does enshrine that FM etc. will be turned off in 2016, but it wont happen as DAB is a mess.

What needs to happen is DAB to be replaced with a better standard i.e. like one in use in the rest of the world. DAB is a major mistake and the costs to fix it are fairly large hence why everyone keeps skirting around it - but its going to have to be fixed in the next 5 years.

My advice if your after the best quality home radio - Get an internet radio. Better quality than FM, only issue is internet radios aren't cheap and start at £120 for stand alone radios. But for you and your new radio, FM will be here for the foreseeable future at least.

nickj_2

they were talking about this on r2 the other day , i believe that they need a tipping point of over 50% of the country to have digital before they will consider switching off the other frequencies ,
i've just counted that i have 8 radios in my house or car etc that would be obsolete , can people really afford or want to change these over

ukcarper

Just bought a DAB/FM radio listening to FM, DAB is useless where I am

buglawton

But Tesco does offer a 'quite good' DAB + FM radio for £25, maybe this would be useful to have instead of just FM?

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.202-0645.aspx

spud17

they were talking about this on r2 the other day , i believe that they need a tipping point of over 50% of the country to have digital before they will consider switching off the other frequencies ,

I heard part of the same Jeremy Vine programme.

I could be cynical, but what's the betting that by constantly talking about a 'proposal' manufacturers will get jittery, fewer (more expensive) FM radios in the shops, more people will then naturally buy DAB, the government will say, FM is dead, because nobody is buying the radios.

Then turn off the service.

Anyone ever got DAB to work satisfactorily in a moving vehicle?
Not around here, and we used to think FM was bad.

john_s_2

You can view a response to a No 10 petition (to not switch off FM) here:

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page22663

Pertinently:

However, we have been clear that this process will be market-led and will only consider setting a date for digital radio switchover once 50% or more of all radio listening is to digital.

I haven't a clue where you can get official stats on the percentage of 'DAB radio listening'. The ONS website I'll wager...