Free DAB radio

Ballycommon Mast · 28-01-2022 1:09pm #1

For many many years, boards posters were pining for RTE or the Government to roll out DAB radio but now that a young entrepreneur has opened up an unlicensed network accoss the country with over 20 different stations, nobody is discussing it ?

California Dreamer · 28-01-2022 6:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058230203/free-dab-radio

Young Entrepreneur? Thats a bit of a stretch! Its just another pirate radio set up!

TheBMG · 28-01-2022 8:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118546933#Comment_118546933

”young” is a bit of a stretch for that particular entrepreneur too!

28-01-2022 8:19pm

Across the country is a stretch too! No DAB here in Sligo although I can buy a digital radio in my local Curry’s or Harvey Norman!

end of the road · 28-01-2022 8:33pm

and there has been discussion of freedab on this forum.

Ballycommon Mast · 29-01-2022 11:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118547310#Comment_118547310

So under 35 isn't young? Hum there sure is a lot of begrudgery in this thread

Ballycommon Mast · 29-01-2022 11:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118547318#Comment_118547318

I really don't get this old chestnut about shops selling radios with DAB, apart from some very early prototypes, every DAB radio also has FM, some even do AM, modern ones in the shops today will also have features like Bluetooth and a USB port so it's not like anyone is buying something useless or unusable 🙄

29-01-2022 12:13pm

My main point beside Dab sets availability in stores was the lack of a digital radio signal here for Irish dab. Certain areas in Sligo have dab signals from N I but not local content

tinytobe · 29-01-2022 12:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118549561#Comment_118549561

I don't really understand why there is so much hesitancy towards DAB and DAB+ in Ireland. The only possible explanation is that existing radio broadcasters as the RTE or the private ones are comfortable in their own "FM world" and not waning to change that or possibly having fears of losing revenue or market share.

DAB and DAB+ is a success in the UK, in Norway, in Switzerland, and even catching on in Germany and rolled out across France. No need to fumble around with your cell phone, no internet cost or data usage issues, and lot's of different channels streaming, at rather minimal cost, compared to FM. Also all newer cars sold in the EU are to be equipped with a DAB+ radio.

Also, I wasn't aware that Sligo gets DAB signals from NI? I always thought that DAB from NI doesn't really make it across the border? I presume you're receiving the BBC mux?

29-01-2022 1:39pm

Yes in the Collooney area where we have always had a terrestrial signal from Brougher in Tyrone. Had Bbc, UTV and ch4 from a traditional roof aerial back in the 70s/80s here.

SPDUB · 29-01-2022 9:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118547318#Comment_118547318

Nothing in large parts of Dublin , possibly all , either

tinytobe · 30-01-2022 12:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118549851#Comment_118549851

The British DAB signal for BBC Radio either coms from Brougher Mountain or from Enniskillen. Brougher would be a bit further away than the Enniskillen transmitter, but the stronger one. I'd say in Collooney it'll be hard to figure out which signal you're getting your British DAB signal for BBC radio reception.

However it surprises me that you're getting DAB from the UK in your area without any additional antennas? Either the signal travels further than I expected, or you're using some excellent antenna to boost the reception?

I would have guessed the signal drops out completely west of Manorhamilton?

California Dreamer · 30-01-2022 12:49am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118549472#Comment_118549472

Youre the one that started the thread when its already been discussed to death already.

30-01-2022 10:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118552284#Comment_118552284

I have a roof aerial for DAB. Collooney is on a hill which also helps!

tinytobe · 30-01-2022 12:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118553408#Comment_118553408

I was guessing something like that. Under normal circumstances you wouldn't get the DAB signal from NI in your area at all.

kazoo106 · 30-01-2022 12:37pm

For my daily office work (still from home) I have long given up on Irish FM and nearly all my listening is on DAB with content from across the border.

Just done a san and picking up 89 channels

Yes, a lot of these are crap, but most are a hell of a lot better than the BAI regulated tripe we get on FM

There will never be DAB in the south while the BAI mull over consultations et al and indeed while they can refer to that narrative from the JNLR's that radio listenership is growing on FM

Most of them don't even know what it is, thinking it's something to do with the Internet or indeed Apps.

Likewise, I may add this forum - there is a very very negative preception towards the medium. With all that in mind, I've reserved myself to the fact that we will not be seeing entrepreneurial Irish stations with no 20% crap on DAB anytime soon.

Ballycommon Mast · 30-01-2022 1:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118553848#Comment_118553848

In fairness, 80 odd of those stations are coming from the mainland. I don't think northern Ireland has had any more success than ourselves with indigenous DAB stations

kazoo106 · 30-01-2022 2:50pm

They have one local mux (and several unlicensed ones)

California Dreamer · 30-01-2022 3:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118554119#Comment_118554119

What is this “mainland” you speak of? On the island of Ireland.

kazoo106 · 30-01-2022 4:39pm

I think it's the isle of man, and the poster had a typo, perhaps meaning manland

More Music · 30-01-2022 4:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058230203/free-dab-radio

And that really tells you all you need to know. DAB radio in the ROI is 15 years too late. It's not going to happen now and nobody really cares. FM coverage and audio quality is pretty good and web streaming offers massive choice. All the things that DAB promised. Fair play to the young entrepreneur for trying.

tinytobe · 31-01-2022 2:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118555200#Comment_118555200

I don't think it's too late at all. As said, Germany's DAB+ rollout is pretty recent, only recently all new cars are to have DAB+ mandatory by EU law, plus the idea of 5G as an alternative to DAB+ is technically not an ideal option.

Also choice is rather limited, if it's only down to FM Radio, unless you're in Dublin. Also don't expect for TalkSport or BBC Radio 4 or Radio 4 on LW to be there forever as well. I'd expect that all commercial AM stations in the UK will not be seeing any profit anymore from their AM broadcast beyond 2025 and onwards, so they'd be switched off completely.

California Dreamer · 31-01-2022 3:04pm

Would you really pay €250 a month for 128kb stream and zero listeners?

kazoo106 · 31-01-2022 3:58pm

In the car in most of Ireland

I want to listen to an 80s station - I can't

A 90's or a 70s station - Nope

A dance station - No again

A pure country and westen station - No again

A real classic rock station - Nah

A soul station - No

A Gay station - No

A Jazz station - are you for real

Sports stations - Nope

Indie stations - No

Religious stations - kinda, we have spirit on AM and some FM

What do I have?

If in Dublin, 5 to 6 stations trying to do the same thing

If in the rest of the country - the local station for your county with the endless amount of talkshows and egos

Dont start me about fiddeling with my phone - not happening

That's why I like driving in and around Ulster

Former Former Former · 31-01-2022 5:26pm

The stations being carried on FreeDab are quite literally not worth discussing.

So we're back to the same problem - there's no content so there's no reason for anyone to buy a DAB radio so there's no incentive for stations to push for DAB infrastructure so there won't be any content so there won't be any reason for anyone to buy a DAB radio... and round and round we go.

There is no prospect of anyone injecting the millions of euro needed to break this circle and every year that streaming and internet radio gets more established, the harder it will be for DAB to find any niche.

Only an EU-mandated shutdown of FM will bring DAB back into the mix.

tinytobe · 31-01-2022 5:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118560322#Comment_118560322

Thant's exactly my point as well.

kazoo106 · 31-01-2022 5:32pm

Its already in the mix in every new car - like it or not

end of the road · 31-01-2022 6:32pm

freedab run a mostly software based system i believe so infrastructure costs don't have to be in the millions unless a completely hardware based solution was being used.

realistically any of the dab setups around the world will probably go software eventually anyway.

stations on freedab vary in quality of course but that is no different to the over-regulated BAI stations on fm.

kazoo106 · 31-01-2022 6:44pm

@end of the road we live in such a blinkered society that there is about as much a chance of a UK like scenario here as there is of Shergar winning next years grand national.

The independent stations - upon whom the BAI rely so much for their existance, are happy with the status quo.

DAB rocks the boat by introducing competition - and many of the ILR's actually have no idea what it even is !!!

The snake is not going to bite the hand that feeds it - and there lies the crux

tinytobe · 31-01-2022 6:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118561197#Comment_118561197

The problem with this kind of opinion is that Irish radio will slowly and gradually lose market share. It's no longer reaching all audiences, while DAB+ can do that with ease. Once the ILR's on FM will lose advertising revenue, they may change their minds. However judging by previous negative DAB+ posts, it may be a long and difficult learning curve.

The choice on DAB+ in countries like the UK, Switzerland, Norway or Germany is the answer to what people expect to have via the likes of internet these days.

end of the road · 31-01-2022 7:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118561197#Comment_118561197

indeed, but the problem for the BAI and the independent stations is that ultimately they will not be able to win the battle against competition regardless of how it's delivered and it will be delivered whether it be another terrestrial platform or we actually get to a stage where online coverage is such that listening to radio online is fully reliable.

kazoo106 · 31-01-2022 9:27pm

And where does the 20% news and current affairs go then?

They want to prolong the stranglehold for as long as they can, hence no DAB

That's the reality

Dipole Keith · 02-02-2022 10:39pm

Is the dab thing still on in Dublin? I did a scan today & got nothing, I picked it up a few weeks ago around tallaght but didn’t travel far, There was about 15 English channels on it.

More Music · 04-02-2022 1:43am

For any country you name that recently switched on DAB, I could name another that switched off DAB. I'm not anti DAB, not even the slightest. I was involved in the setup of the RTE/commercial operator DAB trial back in 2005/06. That was the time to expand and launch DAB. At the time I thought it was a great thing to be involved with.

It's had it's day. It's too late now.

In the UK when promoting DAB takeup, they quote "digital radio" listeners, that includes all types of streaming radio and apps as well. DAB figures are just a subset of the overall digital radio figures. But they use the overall "digital radio" figure to make it seem more popular.

Quick Google search: https://getdigitalradio.com/6651-2/

Even the first paragraph in that article is misleading. You see "digital" and "radio" in the same sentence and just assume DAB.

Somebody mentioned fiddling with a phone to listen to online stations in car. Why? Use Apple Car Play or Android Auto and use the head unit in the car. Even voice commands work pretty good now, so you don't even need to touch the screen. Why drive around Ulster to tune in.

People say radio is dead or dying and that I only listen to online stations now. Guess what, most commercial stations are online and people are listening to them. At the moment, online income wouldn't match the traditional income from broadcast FM but some stations are beginning to see steady increase year on year. It wipes it's face as they say and they can now employ a web content/social media person or team.

Radio is going to be around for a long time yet, in some format and whatever the pay model.

tinytobe · 04-02-2022 10:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118579396#Comment_118579396

Regarding "had it's day and It's too late now", that's the way I feel about AM and FM.

It was good back then, but no longer up to standards, it has it's limitations as to how many stations you can transmit and it's also expensive to run. Same goes for LW, RTE 252 and Radio 4 on 198. Something like Atlantic 252 will never come back.

Switzerland, the UK, and Norway have a higher DAB+ audience than on FM. BBC WS on Shortwave in English is gone, but guess what, it's available in countries like the Netherlands on DAB+. I think Malta has a good DAB+ audience as well.

The only reason for FM and AM to continue is there are more radios around, and in many countries still a greater audience to reach, - however that audience is getting smaller with the aging population using it, and the younger ones simply expect more. Also in some countries broadcasters are comfortable in their FM comfort zone, not wanting changes to the market, fearing competition, but fearing competition and isolationist ideas was almost always the reason for a downfall. Just look at the history of the British automobile industry and compare with the French automakers.

Also the wording "digital" is used for DAB, "online" for internet streaming, either mobile or WiFi, at least that's the way they do it in the UK. Same as using Apple Car Play or Android Auto, that's exactly the fiddling one doesn't want to do and not everybody is comfortable with voice commands.

Ballycommon Mast · 04-02-2022 3:03pm

LoL You'd swear that FM was banned in new cars by the EU the way some people go on about the car Radio directive.

Ballycommon Mast · 04-02-2022 3:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118579396#Comment_118579396

That reminds me, for some reason Willie O'Reilly wrote some pro dab articles in the SBP a year or two ago saying rte were wrong to close it, I think this is strange considering he was CEO of Today FM when they decided not to go ahead with it. If DAB stood a chance in Ireland, it needed Today FM in the 00s (an era in which people used to email ray Darcy to ask where can you buy diehard 2 on DVD) to launch spin off stations on the platform, but when Willie, Eddie Fitz and co did the sums, they came to the conclusion that all that would do is eat into their main product

end of the road · 04-02-2022 3:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118581310#Comment_118581310

over exaggeration much now in fairness.

kazoo106 · 04-02-2022 6:18pm

Is it not the lack of interest or understanding by the regulator that's the stranglehold ? - just look at this dribble below

The BAI is committed to exploring the potential for digital radio, including platforms. This will be accomplished by establishing a working group to review sustainability in the radio sector and commissioning an independent expert review of the potential for digital audio broadcasting.

The BAI will explore the opportunities for establishing digital audio broadcasting through consultation and working with the industry, and conducting an analysis of the Irish marketplace and international developments.

Ger Roe · 05-02-2022 4:09pm

An interesting perspective on the UK DAB trials, from Peter Moore, station manager at Radio Caroline. Caroline has been involved in the trials for some time now, but as Peter explains, the future of their involvement will depend on future costs.

https://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/#dab.html

tinytobe · 07-02-2022 1:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118586682#Comment_118586682

The problem they have in the UK, is they started digital radio early on and naturally used an older technology and this was DAB, the digital technology now in use in the EU is DAB+.

Any DAB+ radio is downward compatible and can receive DAB signals, but it doesn't go the other way. Listeners with an old DAB radio ( mostly Roberts and Pure ) won't pick up DAB+.

I think some of the newer multiplexers in the UK use DAB+, whilst the BBC Mux uses DAB.

beachhead · 07-02-2022 2:02am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118549488#Comment_118549488

not worth spending e50 on the chance you might pick up something.prob get to listen to some shite dj expressing an opinion on solving the crisis the world is in,again

beachhead · 07-02-2022 2:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118561266#Comment_118561266

didn't rte have a dab channel and closed it down due to lack of interest from sponsors and listeners.why would so called independents be interested.

end of the road · 07-02-2022 2:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118593380#Comment_118593380

rte closed it down to save money ultimately and the fact they couldn't afford to extend it to the whole country.

there was some listenership to it but it was small and realistically they were never going to get sponsors even if they had extended it to the whole country because any sponsorship is generally for the programming rather then the platform.

small niche broadcasters may be interested because it allows for low cost operation and it breaks the closed shop we have in ireland because the current over-regulated, high cost model practiced in ireland becomes untenible as there is no more excuse for not allowing competition, not that there is much of a one anyway even currently but that's another day's work.

Annascaul · 21-03-2022 11:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118593377#Comment_118593377

It would be worth if DAB+ offered a lot of choice which it currently doesn't, - at least not in Ireland.

Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, the UK, Norway they all had successful DAB+ implementations. I wouldn't even consider switching on FM, when I am in one of those countries. The choice on DAB+ is just too good.

yiddo59 · 21-03-2022 10:10pm

Why would people bother with Dab when they can access almost any station on the internet?

Annascaul · 22-03-2022 11:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118816184#Comment_118816184

A lot of people, even a majority of the countries, I've mentioned have "people" who "bother with DAB". Switzerland already has a very solid majority of DAB listeners, same as Norway, the UK has a slight majority of DAB listeners. Reception is simply easier, also in mountain terrain. No fumbling with phones, no apps to download, no data limits.

As said, I wouldn't bother with FM anymore, when I am in one of those countries.

SPDUB · 22-03-2022 2:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118816184#Comment_118816184

Because you don't get .........annoying gaps.......where....the next word.....or note... can take 10...or 20 ....seconds to play

At least with DAB it behaves like normal break in transmission and you miss a bit

kazoo106 · 22-03-2022 6:55pm

Because if done correctly - Mr. Put*n cannot stop it !

Annascaul · 22-03-2022 10:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118818741#Comment_118818741

That's exactly it.

I think also in the end, it's what one is used to as well, and what one is not used to.

People who've experienced DAB or DAB+ in those countries ( Switzerland, the UK, Norway, the Netherlands or Germany ) where there is a lot of choice on, will miss it automatically when they come to a place like Ireland.

And in a country like Ireland, those who are used to FM are naturally hesitant and resistant to change. Why bother with... why buy a new radio at all, kind of talk.

DAB and DAB+ are by far better for mobile digital radio transmissions, no matter if one is in the mountains or in flat countryside, - than all the other options, even mobile internet, 5G or whatever.

Also it's cheaper, 15 different music channels transmitted from one transmitter at a fraction of the cost of FM or that lame old longwave transmitter on 252.

Lord Nelson · 23-03-2022 12:12am

DAB in Ireland is a non starter and a complete dead duck. Not so much killed off as strangled at birth by the commercial operators who see anything new, be it FM or DAB as a threat to their monopoly. All done with the connivance of the BAI who sat back and allowed it to happen. Their response for the last ten years is to waffle on about committees, working groups blah, blah which is just a feeble excuse for their complete disinterest and fear of upsetting the apple cart. It may eventually be forced on them by European legislation, you can be sure if that happens it will be controlled by the usual suspects with the blessing of the BAI.

Free DAB radio

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