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

• Nearly
 45%
 of
 radio
 operators
 do
 not
 believe
 that
 Ireland
 needs
 more
 radio
 services,
 more
radio
is
supported
by
just
under
37%.

RTE,
community
and
not
for
profit
services
are
most
likely
to
support
more
radio
services.
• Lack
of
an
industry‐wide
plan;
the
current
economic
climate
as
well
as
the
perceived
lack
of
public
demand
were
identified
as
the
main
barriers
to
the
roll‐out
of
DTSB
in
Ireland.
• The
majority
of
commercial
operators
believe
radio
businesses
need
to
be
given
incentives
to
make
the
transition
to
digital
radio
and
that
these
incentives
should
go
beyond
the
proposed
six
year
licence
extension
in
The
Broadcasting
Act
2009.
• Over
90%
ranked
‘live
internet
streaming’
as
important
to
their
operation
and
internet‐related
services
were
viewed
as
the
most
important
priority
with
regard
to
future
investment.
• The
most
frequently
cited
reasons
for
developing
web
radio
services
were
those
of
extending
the
reach
of
radio
beyond
the
FM
franchise
area.
Strategic
Interviews
Interviews
 with
 a
 representative
 group
 of
 senior
 executives
 in
 the
 radio
 industry
 highlighted
 the
following
issues:
• There
was
a
strong
consensus
on
the
need
for
a
coordinated
policy
on
digital
radio
to
be
led
by
the
State
agencies
and
guided
by
a
representative
digital
radio
forum
which
reflected
both
stakeholders
and
interested
parties
in
its
membership.
• Most
interviewees
favoured
DAB+
as
the
optimum
technological
solution
for
Ireland’s
future
based
on
their
understanding
of
its
increased
efficiency
as
a
platform
over
DAB.
• There
 was
 broad
 agreement
 that
 incentives
 for
 the
 sector
 were
 needed
 as
 part
 of
 the
transition
but
about
half
the
interviewees
made
the
point
that
the
endgame
needed
to
deliver
a
broadcast
platform
which
was
better
than
FM,
or
exceeded
the
current
service
to
users,
if
it
was
to
succeed
with
consumers
and
create
a
viable
market.
In
this
context,
however,
it
was
signaled
 by
 a
 number
 of
 interviews
 that
 such
 incentives
 to
 enter
 the
 digital
 radio
 market
needed
to
be
married
with
a
requirement
to
innovate
in
order
to
ensure
the
success
of
digital
radio
in
the
long
term.
• Many
 respondents
 argued
 that
 lessons
 needed
 to
 be
 learned
 from
 the
 RTÉ‐led
 digital
 radio
trial
of
2007‐8
and
that
a
more
coordinated
and
consultative
approach,
emphasizing
extensive
market
research,
was
required.
• Digital
radio
was
perceived
to
be
not
inclusive
of
all
potential
stakeholders,
particularly
small
scale
operators
and
community
services.
There
was
a
lack
of
information
available
on
digital
radio
and
consequently
there
was
a
need
for
an
awareness‐raising
and
educational
campaign
around
digital.
• The
question
of
the
economic
viability
of
a
future
digital
radio
market
was
highlighted
as
was
the
difficulty
in
promoting
the
case
for
digital
radio
in
the
midst
of
a
severe
recession
that
is
already
negatively
impacting
on
the
Irish
media
sector.
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