Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dennis Dura, who shares the following video via YouTube:
Click here to view/listen via YouTube.
Wonderful recording. Thank you for the tip, Dennis!
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Does anyone know what the digital/internet version of Absolute Radio played after The Fratellis, during the 1215 tribute?
Link: Tease for Make Me A Winner, then short chat about Elton John’s final gigs.
Song: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
Reports have it that an Italian station (a pirate?) called “Z100” took over 1215kHz and is currently rebroadcasting “Radio Caroline North” programs on that frequency. Taking a bearing with the loop seems to confirm the transmitter location in Italy, and its substantial signal doesn’t seem to be from a 1kW amateur transmitter. People seem to be determined to keep medium wave rocking in Europe! 🙂
Bauer Media owns Absolute Radio, and also owns a national commercial radio network in Norway. Back in 2017, Norway had no AM and over the year they progressively switched off FM. This is because all their Network FM transmitters along with the Government radio FM transmitters had reached the end of their economic life. As a result Norway is all DAB+ with the exception of low powered community FM stations which are also on a time line for conversion to DAB+.
Bauer knows that within 12 months the ratings for them and the Government broadcaster had returned to previous levels, but now there is a bigger variety of programs some new programs rated very well. This data came from a Norwegian University which is independent of the ‘players’.
Not only is the cost considerably lower per program than with FM, Bauer in Norway or the UK will never have to mention a frequency again. DAB+ radios list the names of the available programs in their case Absolute radio on the screen of the radio. They have a variety of extra programs they make for more niche audiences.
Nearly all new electric vehicles are fitted with DAB/DAB+, FM and bluetooth receivers but no AM, Bauer will not have a declining audience caused by the lack of AM receivers.
Other countries need to learn that they have to drop their technology, which is either 120 or 80 years old and bit the bullet and go pure digital using Digital Radio Mondiale, or DAB+, to minimise costs so they can compete with the audio on demand services and full-fill Government promises on climate change.
The USA has no all digital HD Radio stations in the FM band and only 3 low powered ones in the AM band. The digital coverage area is worse than DRM or DAB+ which also don’t have any interference problems causing the digital signal power to be drastically reduced.
Effect in Australia
radioinfo.com.au/news/absolute-radio-abandon-am-radio/
DAB+ and DRM can at least half the electricity consumption when compared to AM, all digital HDRadio® in the AM band, FM and hybrid HDRadio® in the FM band.
Simulcasting is actually more expensive and uses more electricity than pure analog. It is only when the analog is decommissioned does the savings flow
I have been listening to DAB+ for a long time, and have forgotten how bad AM can sound. No stereo, no high pitched sounds, high levels of noise and distortion.
Congratulations on switching off both AM and FM and saving all that simulcasting money, electricity and hence greenhouse gases. Hopefully you will be able to put the money to good use.
The promotion of listening through the app requires the transmission of their program through mobile broadband phone system, as well as a return path back to the radio station server for each listener. The is also very environmentally unfriendly not only from the base station, but also the fibre optic path back to the radio station and its computers. DAB+ was found to be the most efficient way to distribute program to large numbers of listeners.