First comments 
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michaelSunday 24 March 2013 6:51PM
Terrain and freqency are significant factors determining signal penetration. LW and MW get almost everywhere, FM achieves reasonable coverage. DAB at twice FM frequencies will always struggle and need more relays to match FM coverage. Even then, there will be more dead-spots than now. Too late now, but DRM on MW (and LW) would have offered the best service to almost everywhere. Webradio is neat, but, compared to the portable transistor radio, relatively expensive and less portable.Steve PSunday 24 March 2013 6:59PM
Wrexham WHY is it too late now?michaelMonday 25 March 2013 8:53PM
My sentiment entirely, yet I feel like a lone voice in the desert. The Mighty have put their faith in DAB and shall not be moved - and have no need of reflection. DRM "test transmissions" continue, so there is a modicum of hope that DRM may one day be acclaimed. Wide swathes of valuable short-wave and other frequencies are becoming wastelands. One day, someone might notice and goggle DRM...MarkTuesday 26 March 2013 6:08PM
According to a DCMS paper DRM was dropped due to the night-time interference issue:
"DRM is the replacement for SW/MW radio and provides better audio quality using low bit rates. A BBC consumer trial in 2007 found that whilst the service was more resilient than MW during the daytime, reception at night-time suffered from interference."
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/136357/Role_of_other_platforms.pdfSteve PWednesday 27 March 2013 11:16PM
Wrexham V interesting Brian - seems a very positive conclusion!
My late father found digital radio very effective when flying over Germany in the early 1940s. Apparently they used to modulate the main Droitwich 1500m transmitter by switching the carrier on and off. Which would be detectable over the strongest of jamming.
He was the modem.michaelThursday 28 March 2013 5:31PM
There were similarly encouraging results from a VHF DRM trial in Edinburgh, but no sequel that I am aware of. India seemed to consider DRM worth investigating further, but I am unaware of any recent developments. My deduction remains that board-level interests have taken precedence over better technology. Not for the first time...
My late father was involved in research at Rugby and Dollis Hill. We should never forget what we owe them all.John GleesonSunday 31 March 2013 2:36AM
Is it possibly that you can tell me why there are no BBC Local radio stations on Virgin cable anymore, with the exception of BBC Radio London? I know this has been like this now for maybe 3 or more years if I remember correctly. I don’t personally have cable or even wish to, but I have been to other people’s homes who do & noticed this.
I live in Birmingham & radio stations like BBC Radio WM, BRMB, Beacon Radio (now Free Radio) had been available, but not anymore. Why were they removed? I don’t really need BBC Radio London; it is of little use here. There’s plenty of other radio services, but nothing LOCAL to this area. I’ve noticed on Virgin cable’s web-site you can find out plenty of information about the TV & telephone services, but if you try to search out any information about the radio services they put out there seems to be absolutely no information to be found.
The other day I was staying at my daughter’s house who has cable. I thought there’s a couple of radio programmes that I’d quite like to hear that were broadcast a couple of days previously, maybe I could do that on the catch-up service. No such luck. If it was for a TV programme however there would have been no problem. Radio really does get a raw deal it seems.Pleasant surprise to get some new stations om DAB radios, thanks to the coverage from North East Wales reaching my locale in Southport. Enjoying the reception of BBC Radio Wales. Steve PSaturday 20 April 2013 6:24PM
Wrexham Siarad Gymraig?
It may well be NW Wales rather than NE, due to good propagation over the sea.
IIRC you can see Snowdon from Southport Pier?
And even the sea too these days now they don't dredge the Ribble?
(I was dragged up in Longton, which some here may not know is just up the Ribble Estuary from Southport).Roger MartlewSaturday 20 April 2013 11:55PM
Ormskirk Not only is reception good of the new mux in Longton & Southport, but I have got a perfectly good signal as far away as Lancaster services.
It seemed very strange listening to Dee on DAB there when the FM signal is very local to Chester.MichaelThursday 2 May 2013 3:51AM
In Crawley, how clear is DAB reception and national broadcasters on AM and FM are they also clear?Betamax_manSunday 5 May 2013 12:50PM
More stations switching to mono and lowering bit rates. When will this ever end. The Government wants us to switch to digital so they can sell off the analogue space, but in my opinion, are going the wrong way about it. If they want to increase the uptake of digital radio, the quality needs to also increase. I won't be listening to Planet Rock in the car any more, but will tune to Real XS instead. That is until that becomes mono as well.
R.I.P. stereo DAB radio !KMJ,DerbySunday 5 May 2013 5:31PM
Betamax_man: No doubt the broadcasters now consider that most radio listening is on portable receivers in mono, or stereo with the speekers about a foot apart if you are lucky! Also running two radio stations instead of one stereo one is more likely to add extra listeners for the same transmission cost. Oh for the days of Armstrong tuners, Leak amplifiers and a pair of Celestion ditton 15 speakers.Betamax_manSunday 5 May 2013 9:27PM
KMJ, Derby: I think the problem is greed. OFCOM for the over priced licencing, the big corporations to satisfy the share holders and big bonuses for the board.
Why do record producers produce music in stereo only to be reproduced in mono.
I agree some people do have there speakers too close together so as not to get good stereo separation and a lot of listening is on single speaker radios, but that doesn't help those of us who like to listen in stereo. MarkMonday 6 May 2013 12:36PM
It's nothing to do with greed, it's simply that the MP2 DAB system is uneconomic for stereo transmission, as the bitrates required are too high and unaffordable.
Absolute & Planet Rock have tried reducing to 112k and they are still losing money. Nobody is getting bonuses from these companies. I understand that these stations are also in mono on satellite TV, so it isn't just DAB.
A switch to DAB+ would enable these stations to use an affordable 64k and broadcast in stereo. michaelMonday 6 May 2013 5:41PM
I am conjecturing here. I occasionally listen to a live concert in stereo through headphones, but most of the time, for the reasons stated above, I settle for mono, including AM... I could well imagine that DAB broadcasters' surveys will have resulted in similar conclusions, which help with their balance sheet problems.There are not enough DAB radios for FM shut-down to proceed - and too many to switch to DAB+ now. Asking listeners already dubious of DAB to toss their not-so-cheap DAB radios into landfill and buy yet another clutch would risk the final demise of DAB. Most still seem content with FM, but would be impressed with high bitrates in stereo and fewer sound-alike stations. It would technically be possible, desirable even, to retain FM and spread the choice of stations over both FM and DAB. But "they" of course wish to switch off FM (except for Community radio etc) for budetary reasons. Knotty...Please tell me if your excellent statio will be able to broadcast again. updates
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