How will you get your radio?

This page was last updated on October 13, 2002

With the advent of digital satellite, digital terrestrial television, cable, the internet, DAB Digital Radio, and the continuing FM and AM transmissions, getting a great choice of radio is easier than ever before. But which is best for you?

Digital Satellite Radio
In the days of analogue satellite television, all television channels came with around nine mono audio channels, primarily meant for transmitting different language versions of the same television programme. While some channels used this, notably Eurosport, many channels sublet their audio carriers to radio stations. Tuning in to radio in this way was difficult, and confusing – since the picture of the hosting channel remained on the screen – and consequently few people knew of the facility, let alone tried it. With the advent of digital satellite transmissions in late 1999, radio stations were given their own channel numbers and displays, so publicly-accessible digital satellite radio became a reality.

Sky Digital is the only satellite system aimed specifically at the UK, and there are currently over sixty radio stations available on the system, starting at channel 851. Radio stations are accompanied by a 'soft' dark-blue display, including information related to the current programme.

Benefit: Satellite can deliver high quality audio over a large coverage area. Large choice.
Drawbacks: Few local radio stations use the system. No dynamic 'now playing' information. Fixed antennas only, so no mobile coverage.
Potential listeners: 5,000,000 households have Sky Digital equipment.
Current listeners: Unrecorded (separately) by RAJAR.

Sound quality: Digital, between 128 and 192k, MP2 encoded.
Transmission cost: Approx £80,000 for transponder space, and £20,000 for appearance in the Electronic Programme Guide (and therefore allocation of a channel).
Reception cost: A digibox is free with commencement of a SkyDigital subscription (around £250 a year). No subscription is required to receive the majority of stations.
Coverage: UK-wide (in practice, most of mainland Europe), to fixed antenna
Pay-radio capable: Yes
Now playing capability: No
Schedule capability: Yes, but only for current programme
Display: limited to text in a standard format

Best for: people who don't want local information, but a wide choice of music, including the ethnic and the unusual. High amount of speech-based programming.


Digital Terrestrial Television

The Freeview service, which covers most of the mainland UK, is the phoenix rising out of the ashes of the service launched in 1999 as “On Digital” (and rebranded ITV Digital in 2001).

Freeview, launched on 30th October 2002, is a bouquet of entirely free channels, including radio channels. Just like SkyDigital, viewers can select a channel – starting at channel 70 – to listen to a choice of 18 channels comprising the main BBC channels plus a bouquet of channels from Emap (mostly unique to digital), and oneword and Jazz FM.

Benefit: High quality audio.
Drawbacks: Only eighteen stations. A significant lack of choice for commercial radio stations. No ethnic programming except that provided by the BBC.
Potential listeners: 1,500,000 households have set-top boxes to receive this service.
Current listeners: Unrecorded (separately) by RAJAR.

Sound quality: Digital. Bitrate generally similar to satellite, and higher than DAB.
Transmission cost: Rumoured to be in the region of £120,000 per year for a channel.
Reception cost: DTV set-top boxes available from one-off £79.
Coverage: Around 85% of UK population, dependent on transmitter multiplex. Currently only available on a fixed television antenna, though the technology allows mobile reception.
Pay-radio capable: No
Now playing capability: No
Schedule capability: Yes - for up to two days in advance
Display: text and a station graphic

Best for: people who want a few extra stations for free with their television - including the BBC's digital bouquet.


DAB Digital Radio

The oldest of all digital transmission facilities, DAB Digital Radio actually started in 1990, with a London-wide transmitter network by 1994. DAB Digital Radio uses a network of local transmitters covering particular areas of the country – transmitters which are designed to work together, unlike current AM, FM and TV transmissions. At any one time, your radio may be receiving signals from two, three or even four different DAB Digital Radio transmitters, all broadcasting exactly the same stream of information – making it ideal for mobile reception.

While DAB Digital Radio sounds excellent at the originally-enviseaged audio quality, a lack of available frequencies combined with a general explosion of media choice has resulted in a reduction of bitrate per station to add more choice, therefore reducing the quality of the transmissions. Some users report sound quality worse than FM – and while this is certainly true for stations available with a less-than-perfect FM signal, DAB Digital Radio gives a user more local choice than any other format, in what most listeners see in independent tests as better than average sound quality.

Benefit: Existing stations mostly available on DAB Digital Radio, and extra choice. Great audio difference between AM and DAB; higher signal-to-noise ratio than FM. “Now playing” information is totally dynamic.
Drawbacks: Audio quality can be subjectively worse than FM. High cost and unavailability of receivers. Not all stations produce “now playing” information.
Potential listeners: Confusion. Varying estimates are between 150,000 and 80,000; the higher figure is a manufacturer's production estimate, while the lower figure is a sales estimate. Currently out-selling analogue radios in terms of price-point.
Current listeners: Unrecorded (separately) by RAJAR.

Sound quality: Digital. Music stations from 128k to 192k (most at 128k) MP2 stereo. Some mono.
Transmission cost: Around £75,000 for carriage on a local multiplex.
Reception cost: receivers available from £99.
Coverage: BBC stations only available to 60% of population. Commercial national stations available to 85%. Local stations differ on location – some areas are not covered by any local transmitters. Only digital format available when mobile, though personal mobile coverage is not perfect, especially in built-up areas.
Pay-radio capable: No (currently)
Now playing capability: Yes
Schedule capability: On supporting sets and networks - currently no standalone sets support the EPG.
Display: constantly-updating 128 character display.

Best for: people who want to listen to their current stations, as well as gain more choice and higher quality than AM transmissions. Best choice for high quality mobile reception.


Cable

Cable television is currently undergoing a switch to digital transmission, instead of analogue. Digital radio on digital cable carries a smaller choice than digital satellite, and is normally sourced direct from digital satellite (therefore audio quality is at least similar, if not inferior, to digital satellite).

Some local channels broadcast exclusively on cable, but most stations available on digital cable are national services.

Benefit: Some extra choice. Better audio quality than analogue radio.
Drawbacks: Fixed reception, and limited choice. No dynamic information.
Potential listeners: 4,000,000 subscribers to cable services.
Current listeners: Unrecorded by RAJAR.

Sound quality: Digital. Similar to digital satellite, but may be subject to extra encoding/decoding generation.
Transmission cost: Rumoured to be around £15,000 for carriage per cable network.
Reception cost: Cable boxes normally free with subscription.
Coverage: Cable unavailable in many areas.
Pay-radio capable: Yes
Now playing capability: No
Schedule capability: Some providers do have full EPG, but sources for schedules may not be direct from the radio station so can be out of date.
Display: Limited to programme information.

Best for: people who appreciate some extra choice, but who already have cable.


The Internet

Over one million people in the UK now have access to broadband internet, so their machines are constantly connected to a high speed connection. This makes it possible for internet radio to be consumed in much the same way as other forms of radio – and may be more convenient, since one computer can act as a multifunction entertainment unit.

However, broadcasting on the internet is expensive, and networks have yet to put “multicasting” in place – an internet protocol that enables many more listeners to use fewer connections to receive their internet radio. As a result, most stations limit the audio quality of their transmissions.

Benefit: Huge extra choice, including everything from international stations to one-man-band stations. Much larger amounts of interactivity, like webcams and direct chat to the presenters.
Drawbacks: Poor audio quality, sometimes as bad as AM. Unreliability.
Potential listeners: Hundreds of millions worldwide.
Current listeners: Unrecorded (separately) by RAJAR.

Sound quality: While not as 'bad' as AM transmissions, most stations available at very low bitrate.
Transmission cost: Dependent on listener base, but from £50 a month to hundreds of thousands.
Reception cost: Compatible computers can start from £300. Broadband internet is £30 a month; limited listening is possible with a modem connection from £10 a month.
Coverage: Worldwide.
Pay-radio capable: Yes
Now playing capability: Yes
Schedule capability: Full EPGs from websites – though a lack of co-ordinated information.
Display: Video and text is virtually unlimited

Best for: people who listen to a wide variety of eclectic styles, or want to hear speech programming worldwide.


AM and FM

The original way of broadcasting radio – Amplitude Modulation – was supplanted by a higher quality transmission method in the late 1950s, called Frequency Modulation. Unlike AM, FM stations allow a stereo effect, as well as, because of their higher transmission frequencies, a greater resistance to interference.

Benefit: Everyone's got a radio.
Drawbacks: AM can sound awful for music, particularly at night. FM can be subject to interference from pirate radio stations as well as poor signal strength. Lack of frequencies mean a lack of choice.
Potential listeners: Local stations can reach 30 or 40 miles. Every household has, on average, 4.5 radios.
Current listeners: Recorded by RAJAR – over 85% of the population listens to radio every week.

Sound quality: AM is highly variable and mono. A good FM signal can sound excellent.
Transmission cost: Around £7,500 for a single local FM transmitter. National networks are far higher.
Reception cost: £2.50 upwards!
Coverage: 30-40 miles per transmitter – hundreds with an AM transmitter.
Pay-radio capable: No
Now playing capability: None
Schedule capability: None
Display: None (station name and limited information via an RDS-equipped FM set).

Best for: most radio listeners who are comfortable with the current sound quality of their current station, who don't want or need extra choice.

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