Kool under new management

[Ian]

My prediction is London wide DAB like centreforce. Trial is pretty sketchy outside zone 3.

That is going to cost big money. Where’s that coming from?

[zoostorm]

My prediction is London wide DAB like centreforce. Trial is pretty sketchy outside zone 3.

That is going to cost big money. Where’s that coming from?

Not even Rinse has gone on the larger Londonwide multiplexes.

Clearly Centreforce has someone who can afford to bankroll the transmission charges on the London 2 multiplex and they're also on a multiplex that covers Liverpool, Chester and Wrexham.

Small scale DAB really is the opportunity for current and ex-pirates to go legal at considerably lower cost, regardless of the poor coverage.

[Albert H]

Unfortunately, DAB really is turning into "Dead And Buried" in most areas. Now the mobile phone networks have almost universal coverage, most radio listeners use the 'net, even in their cars. Online stations - even the smallest, almost unknown ones - have gigantic audiences compared to DAB!

[fmuser877]

still have no dab in our car but i can use an FM TX with mp3 player its so powerful it will override any interference from even the strongest station lol.

[XXL]

Unfortunately, DAB really is turning into "Dead And Buried" in most areas. Now the mobile phone networks have almost universal coverage, most radio listeners use the 'net, even in their cars. Online stations - even the smallest, almost unknown ones - have gigantic audiences compared to DAB!

What do you mean “unfortunately”

[sproggy]

most radio listeners use the 'net, even in their cars.

Sorry, but that is false.

[Barnabas]

most radio listeners use the 'net, even in their cars.

Sorry, but that is false.

I agree, I don't know anyone who listens to radio via the net in their car. I struggle to get a decent data signal in my house in Birmingham. On the road, get outside of the city and the data is still non existent in rural places for miles, so listening to live radio on the net just isn't an option. I'm not defending DAB by the way, I think it's shite.

[mpx]

Not much variety on the commercial DAB multiplexes up and down the country, seems to be filled with various heart capital absolute jukeboxes so small scale will be a refreshing change! I've listened to stations via tunein in the car but as you say, once you go rural it starts buffering

[Albert H]

I agree, I don't know anyone who listens to radio via the net in their car. I struggle to get a decent data signal in my house in Birmingham.

Perhaps you should invest in a better phone! I have a five-year-old Samsung Galaxy S10 (on EE in the UK), and seldom fail to get a fast data connection anywhere I go - even with the phone sitting in the big Faraday Cage that is my car! I get consistent service throughout East Anglia and London, and much of the Midlands and north. I found a few really dead spots down in rural Devon, but they were rare. Coverage is now generally good enough to get reliable audio streaming virtually anywhere.

In other countries, the situation is much the same - data reception in the Benelux is generally perfect, most of France and Germany have good coverage, and Austria, Hungary and the other countries around there are generally (mostly) OK too. Parts of Italy and Spain can be flaky, but that's not much of a surprise.

A quick poll of 20 people at an event I went to yesterday revealed that of the ones that owned cars (18 of them), all except one used their phone connected by Bluetooth into their car audio system to listen to "radio" whilst on the move. Only two of them ever bothered to try DAB, and most of the others sometimes listened to FM or AM, but the majority of the time they were listening to web streams.

"Radio" listening is migrating rapidly away from conventional "off-air" reception. The range and scope of programming available on the 'net is far broader than you'll ever get on the air, and the coverage of low power FM and (worse) DAB stations is appalling!

[Barnabas]

I wonder what event you went to on new years' eve to ask 20 people about their radio listening habits?

[tokingmenace]

My prediction is London wide DAB like centreforce. Trial is pretty sketchy outside zone 3.

Was listening to Eastmans last show and was saying Kool, Londonwide on DAB, with the hope to go for an FM licence in the future ??
total rebrand, new website / socials, some Dj / Mc's staying / leaving & new joining, but will be sticking to their core roots of
Jungle / Drum & Bass.

[Time2Shine]

Was listening to Eastmans last show and was saying Kool, Londonwide on DAB, with the hope to go for an FM licence in the future ??
total rebrand, new website / socials, some Dj / Mc's staying / leaving & new joining, but will be sticking to their core roots of
Jungle / Drum & Bass.

Good to hear. I took the plunge yesterday and bought a Google home player for £24 rather than a new radio which would have cost quite a bit more. I can't really see the point in DAB over streaming if at home. Talk to Kool with a K brought the stream out successfully yesterday but it seems to have gone now...

[tokingmenace]

...they are taking a break, so will be off for about a month, to get things ready for re-launch.

No more Flip Flop Fridays at work, by the looks of it.