If you haven't embraced the DAB radio revolution, you're not the only one. It seems that take up of the service has been so slow that The Powers That Be have suggested that setting a date for turning off FM radio might hurry people up.
There's arguments over whether DAB radios should be subsidised (they're still more expensive than cheapo FM radios) and who should be responsible for promoting DAB (the BBC has borne the brunt so far). What's certain is that in order to justify the cost, the figure of just 17% of radio listening being digital needs to increase dramatically.
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[via The Register]
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May be if coverage was decent people would invest, I have DAB but since we moved not a chance of reception now or in the near future. Coverage is OK in most major towns but rural areas and particularly Scotland are very poor.
This would be a very bad move unless there is massive investment in the network very quickly.
Also with the rumor that current DAB radios may become obsolete with the advent of ACC DAB many are waiting to see what happens, couple that with on the whole poor sound quality and in some cases mono and DAB doesn't live up to the hype.
Let's face it , DAB is crap ! Ghastly sound , high battery drain , cheap and nasty chinese cicuitry . What a waste of money to spend on this junk when we already have superior FM . Surely there are better things to spend money on .
The Digital Britain report (which is what I presume you mean by The Powers That Be) says nothing about "hurrying people along". In fact, there is NO switch off date for analogue radio. The report says WHEN 50% of all listening is digital (i.e. the minority is analogue)and WHEN DAB coverage matches FM, then it will trigger switch over (note, "over", not "off" - FM will remain for very local services) which could come two years later. The report suggests this could happen by 2015, but there is no set date.
There has been absolutely no discussion of DAB being subsidised - don't know where you got that one from. If you're only interested in "cheapo" radios, you can buy a basic DAB radio for £25. More than a cheapo £10 FM radio, but look how much more the DAB radio delivers. By the end of next year, the entry price for DAB will be around £15.
On power, many of Pure's DAB radios are recommended by the Energy Savings Trust which says: "running four PURE Energy Saving Recommended radios will use less electricity than one low energy light bulb on for the same time".
Rechargeable batteries and products which give you 150 hours of battery life demonstrate the recent improvements to power consumption.
The rumour that DAB will change to DAB+ making current radios "obsolete" is just that....an unfounded rumour. There are NO plans to move the UK to DAB+.