Shared Ireland - FailteDAB and NI DAB

Cmx95

Will there be any presenters on the onic stations or will it be just a jukebox stations

Cmx95

https://radiotoday.ie/2025/05/dab-in-ireland-an-opportunity-to-seize-through-bold-content-and-exemplary-collaboration/

jmb2022

Interesting take, but if I'm wrong I haven't picked up on a formal launch of FailteDAB with the appropriate ad campaign to drive awareness. And crickets from RTE of course. Anything people are seeing?

lertsnim

It's only a test so I wouldn't expect to see any promotional material for it.

Cmx95

Anyone know how much a station be paying to participate in the trial

Genghis

I'm curious, and apologies if a silly question. Suppose there is a station (like we are discussing) that is on both an ROI mux and an NI mux, do DAB radios re-tune in the same way they would between 2 Mux on a national network?

jmb2022

Just back from a week in Ireland and thought I’d share a few impressions of the FailteDAB service.

1. First in the service area, the service was flawless. No drop outs. The additional more themed services especially from Onic were great and for those services like q102 and todayfm the radio prioritized dab almost exclusively with the exception of driving just past Newry and thru the Dublin port tunnel.
   
2. There is a yawning gap in awareness. Seriously I don’t hear any one talking about, saw zero ads on buses or bus stops. There is a considerable awareness gap which I would imagine RTE is only too happy to let happen.
   
3. DAB, when done right is amazing. The level of choice in listening especially driving around NI shows that it just works. And the rest of the country is missing out of a a diversity of listening experiences. That said BBC radio continues to be excellent, the choice of various Capital variants and Virgin variants is something an expanded coverage or future MUX could learn from.

So technically it all seems to be working, where is the enablement, the marketing campaign??

jmb2022

Interesting to see Eirewave as now a pan Ireland radio station. See their latest map:

https://eirewave.com/how-to-listen/dab

Has anyone driven across the border and tested if the service is seamless across the border? I’d be interested to see.

Genghis

Nice map they have. I am not sure though that Eirewave reach all the red zone, from my own experience I think where the third white arc runs (per my screenshot) is basically the extent of their reliable range (and that of FáilteDAB)..

waywill1966

It cuts out at Longford on the Sligo road!

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123387398#Comment_123387398

Pridevibes and Country seem to have regular presenters; the others jukebox. Country is basically the LMFM Country stream that always had presenters and Pridevibes had presenters on its previous Summer streams.

Cmx95

What presenters are on onic country

jmb2022

I am more wondering if it will jump to the NI DAB transmitters from FailteDAB and the other way round

jmb2022

Interesting to read that the UlsterMux has a rate card for CnaM governed stations, giving the UK's Ofcom the ability to carry non-UK stations. A few things should happen here:

1. RTE should wake up and clearly jump on this and finally gain a regulated distribution, (rather than relying on overspill from south of the border) of their services in N. Ireland. An example of what this could mirror what Eirewave have done here [https://eirewave.com/how-to-listen/dab]
2. This should be the booster shot that should see RTE jump back on the DAB+ FailteDab and invest their services accordingly.
3. CnaM should look at reciprocating and open up the Irish market to services like NPR, BBC, SBS and other European services. This should now mean a second MUX should be established - FailteDAB2 anyone?
4. CnaM should move to make the trial permanent and roll out the DAB+ service nationwide, but contiguous with the Leinster rollout.
5. Time for the media journalism to actually cover this and highlight this so adoption can accelerate. Email arts@irishtimes.com & also https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-finn-ba444719/

Infoanon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058421117/coimisiun-na-mean-stations-on-ulster-dab-mux-will-we-see-something-similar-on-failtedab

CnaM have shown no interest in opening services to foreign regulated broadcasters, the minister has resisted signing the EU legislation that allows UK services to be carried without an EU licence (resulting in UK radio and TV services being removed on eg Sky) , and only recently Choice broadcasting, in its legal case against Greatest Hits , emphasised the Greatest Hits was a UK station impacting an Irish service.

As it stands Failte DAB will cease next March , while RTE sold its DAB equipment....

So nothing is going to happen imho

icdg

I really don’t see the need for two threads on FailteDAB - Merged.

Cmx95

Interesting to see the rate card on the Ulster mix page the price for a 12 month contract I wonder is that what failtedab stations are paying

The Cush

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123697125#Comment_123697125

The carriage of non-UK stations on UK DAB Muxes was regulated for under the UK Media Act 2024.

The Media Act 2024 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2024 commenced this section of the Act last Oct and allows Ofcom to licence these services, Section 46.

Also under the same commencement order, Section 47, DAB multiplex providers must publish information about payments radio stations make for carriage.

“(i) that the holder of the licence publishes information, in such manner as OFCOM consider appropriate, as to the payments to be made by the holders of community, local and national digital sound programme licences for the broadcasting of their services under the licence, and

(j) that the holder of the licence provides to OFCOM information, in such manner as OFCOM consider appropriate, on the community, local and national digital sound programme services provided for broadcasting by means of the service.”

Also ending the need for DAB multiplex providers to ask Ofcom for permission to add or remove digital radio stations, Section 47.

An application for a licence will no longer be required to include proposals about the number and characteristics of digital radio services to broadcast on the multiplex. The effect of this section is to remove OFCOM’s function of overseeing the ‘line-ups’ of national and local radio multiplexes. This means that applicants for a national or local radio multiplex licence are required to satisfy OFCOM that they are able to deliver a service with sufficient geographical coverage and which is likely to be sustainable, and that they will act in a manner calculated to ensure fair and effective competition (as required by the remaining provisions of sections 46, 47, 50 and 51 of the BA 1996), but are otherwise free to decide the number and nature of radio stations which they carry. This change, which reflects the maturity of the digital radio market and the availability of a wide range of radio stations across the UK, will allow for simpler arrangements between multiplex operators and OFCOM.

The Cush

Rate card – UlsterMux

Proposed ROI – Republic of Ireland stations, Licensed by Coimisiún na Meán should be able to transmit terrestrially from within the UK on Small Scale DAB Multiplexes subject to the Draft Media bill becoming law sometime in 2025, and subject to Ofcom frameworks. Once approved, this bill will allow Ofcom to be able to license non UK radio services for the first time – specifically, those based in the Republic of Ireland . UlsterMUX will update this page when the Media bill becomes law, at present, and until this bill becomes law, we can only accept expressons of interest from BAI/CnaM licensed stations concerning future carriage

The Media Bill was signed into law 24th May 2024

Carriage of non-UK radio station on UK DAB muxes came into effect on 15th October 2024 (as above)

mrwish

The failteDAB mux on 7C is a fairly common visitor over here in Cheltenham when the tropo conditions are good. Mainly from Three Rock, but this morning I'm getting a consistent ping from an unlisted TII code (transmitter ID) - 01 06. I've also had this a few other times in the last couple of months.

This code is used by the Mount Oriel transmitter on 5B, but nothing listed for 7C. Anyone have any ideas? The only other one I sometimes get popping up on 7C is the code for Balbriggan.