I get contacted by a few students, and am happy to respond to questions, so long as I can mercilessly re-use this information in a blog posting. And, with that in mind… hello, Chloe, who contacts me and says…

I am writing my MA dissertation on the public perception of DAB in Yorkshire and have been reading your blog with great interest over the past few months. As part of my research I conducted a survey and would like to put my findings to you.

Oooh.

I have found that there is a lack of understanding of the radio switchover and a dissatisfaction with reception and content especially in rural areas.

Not surprised there’s a lack of understanding about the switchover; none’s been announced. If one was, of course, there’d be rather more understanding.

The only thing that’s been said is that if we reach 50% digital listening by 2013 (we won’t) then the government will force large FM broadcasters off the dial in 2015 (they’d be mad to in an election year, and the market should decide in any case).

In terms of reception – not surprised in Yorkshire: first, it’s quite hilly; and second, the houses are built rather solidly in that part of the world: big thick sandstone walls don’t normally work too well with any type of radio reception, even FM. Reception’s something that the industry knows it needs to work on. That said, it works fine in West Yorkshire (in a car and at home) in my experience: indeed, I even got the Manchester multiplex too.

Dissatisfaction around content is less straightforward. There’s an awful lot of additional content on DAB in Yorkshire; whether the successful services like Magic, new services like Rock Radio, or the current additional services like Absolute Radio 80s and BBC 6music. Extra services from existing brands works well, but it’s also very clear that the radio industry has yet to properly market these to audiences, particularly audiences who have yet to purchase a DAB radio. It’s a marketing problem, I’d suggest, rather than a content problem.

My main finding is that DAB is being overtaken by other technologies such as DTV and radio online. May I have your opinion of these preliminary findings?

My opinion of that? You’re talking rubbish.

DAB accounts for 15.4% of all radio listening; DTV accounts for 4.5% of all radio listening; Internet Radio accounts for 2.8% of all radio listening. (RAJAR, Q3 2010), so the audience clearly doesn’t think so.

Reception of internet radio while mobile is expensive and unreliable, unlike broadcast radio. Reception of DTV while mobile is impossible; and DTV (at least, radio via Freeview) has less content than DAB. On Sky, DTV has just two Yorkshire-based radio stations (Yorkshire Radio and Galaxy). There’s no way that broadcast radio can be replaced with DTV or, at least for the next ten years, with internet-delivered radio.

In terms of broadcast radio – given the choice between FM and DAB, both are equally valid, but DAB delivers considerably more choice, and is (whisper it) considerably more robust, too: unless you like the pirate radio stations of Temple Newsam stomping all over your signal, or you’re a particular fan of the hiss you get from the low signal in many of the Pennine valleys.

If you look on paper, DAB’s technology might look slightly old-fashioned; but a proper comparison of the platforms leads to a simple answer: that the future of radio is multi-platform, not based on one technology; and that if you want a lot of choice, in a mobile environment, with cheap, low-powered radio sets, then DAB is the only sensible broadcast foundation. (Use internet radio for niche, non-geographical services; and use DTV, or internet, for high-quality audio in a stationary setting).

To ignore the cost of receivers and mobile reception when choosing a radio platform – and, of course, audience behaviour – will give you an odd result if you’re planning the future of radio. It’s not all about the technology, but about the whole listener environment – something that many commentators don’t appear to grasp. Make sure you don’t make that same mistake; and best of luck with your MA dissertation. Any chance of a copy when you’ve finished it?

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