DAB in Ireland: RTE multiplex closed

Danish Daddy

In my experience, apart from late 90s/V early 00s prototypes, Every DAB radio has FM, even if it's not written on the front of the box. That DAB/FM kitchen radio at €25 is more or less the same price as the Roberts R993 FM/MW/LW, nobody would say that the Roberts shouldn't be stocked now that MW & LW are closed in Ireland 🤷

Andy From Sligo

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Danish Daddy

Below is what's on a small scale DAB operation in Northern Ireland, Bear in mind that the local community stations are also available on FM. It has pretty much ended up like the EIrdab trial in cork a few years ago that only got external Religious stations and a relay of a college FM station https://foyledab.com/our-clients

TAFKAlawhec

Meanwhile, in DAB matters up north, Bauer have announced that they are going to use the capacity they are currently using for five of their DAB stations on the SDL ensemble to make way for 12 DAB+ services. Scala Radio is to go from DAB (joint) stereo to DAB+ stereo, while four mono DAB services (Absolute 80's, Absolute Radio 90's, Mellow Magic & Planet Rock) become stereo DAB+ services. Seven additional services will also start broadcasting on the ensemble - Absolute Classic Rock, Absolute Country, Heat, Kerrang!, Magic at the Musicals, Magic Chilled & Magic Soul, presumably all in stereo. Exact date for this to be done is TBA, but it should be during this Autumn.

From an NI perspective, Absolute Classic Rock & Magic Soul are currently broadcast (each in DAB mono) on the Bauer NI ensemble that covers significantly more population & landmass than the SDL ensemble does in Northern Ireland, but it's difficult to see Bauer leave those two services on their local ensemble for those outside of SDL coverage. Presumably they'll be replaced with another couple of stations from Bauer's stable that are otherwise on some local DAB ensembles in parts of GB for the time being at least.

waywill1966

Dab signal very poor in Fermanagh south of enniskillen!

Mickey Mike

The north of Ireland should knock off DAB as well.

Mickey Mike

The north of Ireland should knock off DAB as well.

TAFKAlawhec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121205770#Comment_121205770

As I don't want to receive any infractions, I'll limit myself to simply saying that the only way DAB(+) will be completely switched off in NI will be when it is also done across the UK, and that ain't gonna happen any time soon.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121205487#Comment_121205487

There's definitely an issue with DAB coverage in much of Fermanagh because the DAB Band III TX aerials on Brougher Mountain are quite strongly directional towards the north & east, less so towards the south & west. DAB reception is still good in places close to the Tyrone border like Tempo & Irvinestown, but starts getting worse once you move away. For whatever reason, the UK authorities appear to be a lot more paranoid about DAB overspill outside the UK compared to their DVB-T(2) and FM radio counterparts, making coverage in Fermanagh suffer because of it. The BBC DAB filler in Enniskillen (at the MW radio TX site) helps give better coverage for the BBC National DAB ensemble in the town, but the D1 & Bauer NI coverage is otherwise very patchy there. Unfortunately, it seems that there will be very little, if any, DAB coverage improvements until FM transmissions start closing down.

And just to update from my last post, it appears that along with Absolute Classic Rock & Magic Soul, Hits Pride will also come off the Bauer NI ensemble to be replaced with DAB mono simulcasts of Absolute 80's Absolute Radio 90's & Planet Rock to give supplementary coverage in areas not served by the SDL ensemble (though if you like ACR, Magic Soul or Hits Pride and can't receive the SDL ensemble, then that'll obviously be a disappointment).

wolf99

Not sure if it was posted here already:

https://www.adworld.ie/2025/02/21/broadcasters-look-to-dabs-second-coming-with-new-trials/

Perhaps another stab at DAB in Ireland?

JDxtra

ignore

Andy From Sligo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123311246#Comment_123311246

interesting

watty

Nothing will come of it, or it will fold. How is it paid for?

kazoo106

Some time ago there was discussion of non local services appearing on the DAB multiplexes in NI. Just had a look at the Belfast / Lisburn multiplex in a scan. Good to see 9 local (Irish based - and not being political) sevices onboard which is a great endorsement for indiginous services.

Also having a look at Newry and 7 are there too - good to see

Mickey Mike

All rubbish though, Voice of Islam, who wants to listen to that.

kazoo106

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343535#Comment_123343535

I dont think voice of Islam was part of my point !

dxhound2005

Some people would think that BFBS is political.

watty

I know people near Belfast who stopped using DAB and and went back to FM in the car.

Coverage less predictable.
Falls off a cliff reception.
Too slow to change station if browsing.
All the "popular" stations are on FM anyway.

They tend to use streaming services (i.e. Spotify) or Sky when at home.

DAB is political, not just BFBS, which isn't really, but hardly prime listing outside Army bases. Became main English service for UK troops in Germany after WWII.

watty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123343535#Comment_123343535

Maybe Muslim people? Though I've not done a survey. Maybe funded from overseas, or else why not a Polish station DAB? Follow the money.

That's the problem with DAB here in Ireland. Who'd pay for it? It won't help revenue or listening figures of any existing station. It's a now obsolete (niche stations are better streamed) solution looking for a problem. A small extra amount of FM band (adding down to 76 MHz (Japan) or even 68 MHz (old Eastern Europe) is still a better solution. There is no other sane use for the FM band.

Once upon a time ANY religious station was illegal in the UK and the BBC in England pretended only the C of E existed, though by 1970s NI had Catholic services as well as the others on BBC Radio. Irish was still forbidden, so apart from Eisteddfod, all Welsh broadcast nationally by the BBC was blocked (test card) in case it would make the locals restless. A sop to Unionists because Irish wasn't "blocked" in books in the 6 counties (or 26) before 1922. British never actually suppressed Irish (Gaelic) in Ireland.

end of the road

that's why a licensing regime should be implemented and open it to the market, then we can see who will or won't pay for it.
if nobody will pay for it then there is nothing to lose or be lost because the opportunity is there which is the important thing.
DAB is a solution to the problem of inability to provide competition and a market based solution to commercial broadcasting in ireland, should we decide to keep terestrial radio around.
we know the current model of radio here is untenable and unviable due to horendously over inflated costs due to horendous levels of regulation, DAB destroys that model like it did in the UK and other countries, which while not perfect has brought over all a better listening experience for the listener.
it should be up to the niche broadcaster as to whether they just want to stream or be able to go on a platform like DAB rather then having it imposed on them.
would love to know how DAB is political though, that's an interesting claim.

kazoo106

Nobody claimed it was - BFBS may be to some, but it does broadcast from studios in Lisburn and I'm including it as an indigenous service for that reason and that reason alone. The point I was trying to make is that back last year some people here were dissing the fact that all content on DAB in NI is from the other island to our east - not the case any more

watty

Quote from end of the world:

"DAB is a solution to the problem of inability to provide competition and a market based solution to commercial broadcasting in ireland, should we decide to keep terestrial radio around.

we know the current model of radio here is untenable and unviable due to horendously over inflated costs due to horendous levels of regulation, DAB destroys that model like it did in the UK and other countries, which while not perfect has brought over all a better listening experience for the listener."

Citation that the regulation cost is an issue on Irish FM?

DAB has nothing to do with that and only benefits national stations with loads of channels.

Also "more competition" actually reduces the viability of local stations, and all national stations except State financed.

Also to save money the DAB bitrate is lowered to minimum (DAB+ being used simply to double the number of stations, not improve quality) and in almost all cases is poorer quality and mobile experience and higher power consumption for portable. In every aspect real deployed DAB is inferior to FM, to save money.

DAB only increases costs for existing local radio (and also for National, if FM is maintained). Given that DAB inherently has poorer coverage, almost usable as pocket sized portable and built into much less phones etc than FM, it would be political arrogance to turn off FM. UK has admitted that FM may never be turned off.

end of the road

local radio is already heading to unviability hence increased networking will be coming and increased consolidation, therefore more competition isn't going to protect against that.
the higher power consumption for portable radios was true with the first generation of DAB radios but is no longer the case.
for the average listener more stations is preferable to higher quality, and ultimately the listener is who needs to be catered to rather then those of us interested in radio.
more stations, lower transmission costs, a proper market based method of operation and regulation, ultimately shows that while yes there is a drop in quality in some aspects, DAB+ is actually over all better then FM.
duplication should only happen if near to an FM switch off, but otherwise any existing operator should be launching something new and there is space for smaller operators to take advantage of the lower operation costs.
turning off FM wouldn't be political arrogance as it is actually going to happen eventually but when that will be i don't know.
no the UK still plan on turning off fm for most stations, some community stations may still exist on it but the plan is for the main stations including the BBC to abandon it.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123344885#Comment_123344885

MHO is that we don't allow political propaganda broadcasters, so we shouldn't allow religious ones either. If they'd meet the balance and fairness rules every other broadcaster has to, then that's one argument for the defence (they won't though) but invariably they're funded by their owner or other donors - other stations are expected to survive on commercial income and have a business plan, so again that's special treatment

SPDUB

almost usable as pocket sized portable 

If you were trying to say "almost unusable" I actually had to recharge my portable DAB+ radio less than a smart phone when listening to music

fawaf

DAB is the UHT milk of radio.

watty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123350589#Comment_123350589

Really? You are comparing with a device notorious for needing charged. Also you don't write which Smart phone. Some have very big batteries.
What mWh battery is fitted to the DAB+ and how long does it run on (a) FM stations, (b) Actual DAB stations.?

(rofl)

Charles Slane

The FailteDab tests are currently broadcasting 20 stations, listed as 8Radio, CH80s, Freedom, LaserHits, Newstalk, Nova Xtra, Onic 80s, Onic Gold, Onic Hits, Onic Kids, Onic Movies, Onic R&B, Onic Rock, Onic Alt, Onic Country, Q102, Rewin, Spin, Spirit and Sun Soul.

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