Everyone on the forum, most of us just ordinary listeners, admire Muxco and Mattd for finding logical and rational solutions to the broadcasting problems and dilemmas that they are constantly presented with. They solve one problem, and immediately are presented with a different one.
The dilemma of DAB and DAB+ is one that "the broadcasting industry" is faced with, is one that "the broadcasting industry" needs to solve, as they are the only ones who can solve it. The idea that "the industry" will wait until a percentage of radio receivers reaches a certain level before firstly switching off FM, and secondly converting broadcasts to DAB+ is lamentable. It is so lethargic as to be unbelievable.
There are still DAB-only radios being sold in the shops, in Christmas 2016. Why ? Walk into Tesco in Hereford, and all of their DAB radios do not support DAB+.
My very good friends at Sunshine Hereford have grown their audience figures now to 2.5 million, an integral part of the community in our area of south-west England. They are supporting local businesses, who rely upon them to continue trading in an age where so many people buy things on the internet from groceries upwards. Yet faced with deciding off their own bat whether to switch their encoding on Muxco's service, or to turn off FM, would be one ( in my opinion ) that would be totally unfair to expect them to make, because of the damage to their own business and that of the many business that rely upon their advertising. There is no doubt that if Hereford was to lose the services of the broadcaster, then it would be a substantial nail in the coffin of many local businesses and the town centre. Although seemingly a technical matter, changing the technology behind the broadcasting process goes far and beyond improving sound quality or packing in more stations onto one multiplex.
And so it must be all across the UK, and all sizes of broadcasters.
The only way to solve this dilemma which the industry finds itself in, and which people like Mattd are doing so much good work to try and circumvent, is to give up the "percentage" criteria for both of the switch-offs.
We need to fix a date, both for switching off FM and for switching over to DAB+.
How about 2020 ?
Bear in mind that Australia has been broadcasting within its main population areas on DAB+ since 2009...
The Government and "the industry" need to fix a date ASAP, then everyone will know what is being worked towards. Yes, there is a good deal of work to do, but the situation has to be resolved in a certain, robust and positive manner, if broadcasters, their customers and listeners are to have a sensible future.