Digital Radio for Ireland: Competing Options, Public Expectations - BCI

capabilities
that
were
allowed
in
the
UK’.
In
his
view,
a
digital
solution
had
to
provide
better
sound
quality
than
FM
and
optimum
spectrum
efficiency.
While
ComReg’s
preference
may
be
for
DAB+,
John
Doherty
emphasized
the
importance
of
facilitating
innovation
‘because
we
don’t
think
that
regulators
or
Government
are
very
good
at
picking
winners.
Our
 role
 is
 to
 enable
 as
 many
 approaches
 as
 one
 can
 and
 then
 allow,
 if
 you
 like,
 the
 market
 to
determine
 which
 is
 successful’.
 He
 echoed
 the
 need
 for
 a
 coordinated
 approach,
 including
 the
regulators,
 the
 sector
 and
 the
 Department
 but
 argued
 that
 it
 ultimately
 needed
 a
 champion.
 ‘That
champion
would
have
to
have
the
support
of
the
sector.
The
sector
itself
would
be
one
of
the
driving
forces
behind
it’.
Celene
Craig
described
what
the
BCI
see
as
the
three
layers
of
any
future
policy
structure
for
digital
radio.
‘There
is
the
technology
piece,
the
technology
including
spectrum,
there
is
the
economics
piece,
the
ability…
to
sustain
the
digital
radio
industry
and

what
the
impact
may
be
on
the
existing
quite
successful
radio
industry
…
and
then
there
is
the
content
piece…what’s
the
potential
for
content
and
the
 potential
 add‐on
 for
 listeners’.
 
 Celene
 Craig
 and
 her
 colleague
 Neil
 O’Brien,
 Director
 of
Engineering
at
the
BCI
outlined
a
window
of
opportunity
with
both
the
new
Broadcasting
Act
2009
and
the
commencement
of
radio
licence
renewals
in
the
period
2011
–
2013. 22 

The
new
legislation
offers
incentives
for
the
sector
to
move
into
digital
radio
by
granting
them
six
year
extensions
on
their
FM
licences 23 
 Celene
 Craig
 summed
 up
 the
 challenge
 in
 shaping
 a
 policy:
 ‘It’s
 really
 a
 question
 of
 us
coming
 up
 with
 the
 model
 that
 balances
 all
 those…..that
 gives
 you
 something
 that’s
 vaguely
economically
viable,
that
makes
a
good,
efficient
use
of
spectrum
and
that
also
creates
some
value
for
listeners
in
terms
of
either
additional
material
or
a
better
listening
experience’.
Given
the
consensus
on
the
need
for
coordination
and
for
an
agreed
policy
framework,
Paul
Byrne
of
Radio
Kerry
articulated
the
next
step
required
for
involved
consultation
and
recommended
that
the
regulator
 should
 issue
 a
 White
 Paper
 and
 open
 a
 process
 of
 consultation:
 ‘And
 that’s
 crucial.
 And
 I
think
that
would
be
step
one…We
may
have
a
view
on
that
policy
when
it
comes
out,
but
certainly
the
starting
point
would
be
'Here
is
what
we
propose
and
now
let
us
have
your
views
and
thoughts
on
that,
and
we'll
progress
it
from
there'.
With
that,
he
offered
an
optimistic
outlook
for
the
prospects
of
developing
 digital
 radio:
 ‘I
 think
 that
 if
 everyone
 got
 behind
 it
 and
 pushed
 it,
 and
 if
 everyone
 was
singing
off
the
same
hymn
sheet
in
terms
of
the
platform,
than
I
think
that
is
something
that
could
very
quickly
be
established
in
this
country,
because
I
do
think
that
we're
quite
open
to
things
like
that’.
2.3 Technology:
DAB
versus
DAB+?
In
 a
 sense,
 there
 is
 little
 technological
 debate
 amongst
 the
 interviewees
 about
 the
 choice
 between
DAB
 and
 DAB+.
 RTÉ’s
 view
 is
 that
 it
 chose
 DAB
 because
 it
 was
 a
 proven
 technology
 with
 widely‐
available
 receivers.
 It
 also
 wanted
 to
 be
 in
 harmony
 with
 the
 technological
 platform
 available
 in
Northern
Ireland
and
recognises
that
in
the
long
run
DAB+
will
be
the
preferred
platform.
‘We
will
all
22 
BCI.
Licence
Holders
–
Contract
Durations.
Ireland:
BCI,
Internal
document,
received
in
July
2009.
23 
Houses
of
the
Oireachtas.
‘Amendment
of
sound
broadcasting
contracts
for
listed
simulcast
services.’
Broadcasting
Bill
2008
[Seanad]
As
Passed
by
Dáil
Éireann,
Houses
of
the
Oireachtas,
June
2009,
p.139:
The
increase
in
period
during
which
an
existing
sound
broadcasting
contract
continues
in
force
under
subsection
(7)(a)
shall
be
not
more
than
6
years.
45