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Hello,

The term ' avalanche ' may be an overstatement but we as in 'Radio Caroline' are getting many approaches as to whether we would like to join new potential DAB short range multiplexes. If we go back to the days of restricted service licences ( R.S.L's ) these represented a means of being on air, albeit a very unsatisfactory means due to high cost, low power and short duration. In simple terms, by the time that any sort of audience has been achieved it was time to switch the signal off.
Long ago, Peter Leutner who set up the satellite operation European Klassik Rock, tried to use RSL's to make people aware of his station in major cities with the intention that after people were made aware of EKR they would listen on satellite, when the terrestrial signal ended. It was a clever idea but it failed when Ofcom reminded him that the studio creating the signal had to be within the area covered by the tiny FM broadcast.

The situation with small scale DAB is different as at least the signal is permanent and the costs ( sometimes ) are less. But the range maps that these hopeful operators send show where one may get indoor reception, or partially so, or only outdoor reception or maybe a bit of reception if you are lucky. I think it would take a very dedicated listener to tolerate this and not to tune to a station they can hear all the time. Further we we will not have a studio in the relevant area, we are not prohibited from going ahead, but have to pay double.

With community radio the operator at least gets a defined area without having to compete with ' another ' community station. But these local DAB's obviously need to pack in as many stations as possible on to one multiplex to make the operation viable. So there may be 10-20 stations all competing for a small audience.

The stage has reached where when I say ' good luck but we are not interested ' I am still asked to complete a non binding expression of interest to make each application have more merit.

So my jury is out on small scale DAB. Of course we use this to a degree as we once used RSL's on the grounds of ' that is all there is ' or all there was.

Maybe further expansion would be justified if there was what one may call a geographically captive audience.

PM.