FáilteDAB: Coverage, Tests and Services

The RTE doesn't really seem to have a DAB+ strategy. Too much complaining, too much "hen and egg syndrome" whilst the FM audience gets older and older.

One RTE station I would certainly like on DAB+ would be RTE Gold. It's a good station, probably the most popularity of all of them which are not on FM.

Onic Movies has been dropped, but a new station, Onic 90s is now live.

If you know their way of thinking than yes, agreed.

Regarding the RTE I am often in fear they want to force some kind of universal household license fee for anybody regardless of having a TV or not, but never offering anything more modern like DAB+. It doesn't have to come to that, but the fear is there and it's there for a reason.

Who wants to be "force fed" a fee and then pay for an old FM technology? It'll be different ( at least to me ) if it's there to implement the new DAB+ technology.

Just looked at RTE Wikipedia and see that RTE Lyric fm is available on DAB+:6c Digi B, in Malta above all places. I wonder what's the connection there? and its just Lyric.

The connection is that it's just for tourists. I think there are a couple of British stations there as well on DAB+.

The RTE would save an awful lot of money to roll out DAB+ in the whole country and eventually switch FM off. Even if they give two DAB+ radios for free to every Irish household it'll still be a financially better choice all the way.

On the other hand, BBC doesn't mention DAB much at all as well.

Fully online, smartphone and app only is probably a mistake. It'll always be good to have some kind of linear radio as an alternative. Even Switzerland wouldn't turn of conventional radio and they went largely fully DAB+ for their national broadcaster, - same as Norwary.

the sale of DAB (+) radios should be banned in Ireland then, if you’re right. I had a DAB radio, got two years out of it then the channels went! Still works for FM, but default switch on which you cannot change , is to DAB! Then you change to FM with remote! Great crack that is . Authorities should instruct the industry to ban sale of them here if there is no official service available , which seems to be the case.

I am a plan of Dab+ ,but there are some realities that need to be faced:

1. Lazer Hits was relatively unknown until its launch on FM this week, FM is still the only game in town, is the lack of promotion of DAB by the provider / stations / regulator to blame or are we already at the next step ie streaming
2. There is no DAB strategy , not even short term, FailteDAB goes off air in 3 months
3. If a strategy is developed it will take years before it is implemented and contracts are entered into
4. The main players will want duel carriage on FM and DAB (and will get duel carriage)
5. If DAB is ever launched ,the carriage fees will make it very financially difficult for the niche stations like Lazer/8 Radio etc

2026 could be exciting or the end of the great radio experiment…

There is no point in banning DAB+ in Ireland. The mere thought sounds more like a communist and backwards oriented country going back to the times when the catholic church controlled much or nearly everything. Somebody is having success and those who have envy want to ban it as it infringes on the status quo.

I suppose the UK would be switching FM off at some point in the late 2030ies and France and the Benelux will most likely follow suit. So if you're driving to the UK in your car, you won't receive much.

Also there are loads of places in Dublin where FM reception in cars even for the RTE isn't too great.

I am just playing devils advocate there really. I would really like DAB and have a DAB plus in car which is redundant due to my location. My frustrations come from previous experiences with DAB , ( I have two useless DAB systems!) RTÉ main broadcaster has no interest either, they are celebrating 100 yrs of radio this year, what did they do to mark start of the year? Put 4 or 5 channels off air. I think only way DAB works is to get National broadcaster onside OR get every commercial station on DAB as well and start phasing out FM. Let’s face it, it’s far easier to tune DAB radio than FM! Not gonna hold my breath though. We like dated technology here unfortunately

Given that we have no idea how successful or not it has been I wouldn't be telling anybody for the next few months to buy a DAB+ radio to listen to the new stations given that they could just go off-air

The service is full so demand there it's just there doesn't seem be much advertising on stations so that's not a good sign

In my opinion, it’s highly unlikely to go off air in 3 months. This has been established at significant effort and expense.

I expect there will be an extension issued to allow it to continue for now (maybe another year?) or until the go forward solution is determined.

Given that it's a trial service with no guarentee of being extended, I can't imagine any station or group is going to fund an expensive marketing campaign? Equally, ad agencies and businesses will be reluctant to spend their budget on something with no track record and dependent on the population who actually have DAB+ receivers, assuming people are even aware of it's existance. I would imagine that the stations involved are playing to the gallery here with the intention of convincing CNaM that there is sufficient support in the industry to roll out permanent, national DAB. The fact that the mux is full with mainly new services is a positive sign.

One interesting fact is the 20kW transmitter from Three Rock. The power used is unusually high for Europe, possibly indicating it's more than just a test of one year?