Channel 4 wins DAB slot

CHANNEL 4 has won the second national multiplex for DAB radio in the UK and is promising to change the face of the digital tranny.

The broadcaster is committing a fat budget, or at least a fat budget in radio terms, with almost £30 million to spend on marketing alone. However, a glance at promised stations does not encourage. They include stations aimed at kids, middle-agers, women, news junkies - hmm, careful demographic targeting but nothing that makes us scream "listen".

The lack of enticing content shouldn't surprise. C4 started off as a courageous, outrageous, artsy channel that shook up UK TV in the old days when there were only three other options -- yes, three, Americans. Now it has Big Brother and there are a gazillion channels and nothing on, to misquote Bruce Springsteen.

More promisingly, it promises new technology to support DAB sets with usable electronic programme guides and special traffic services.

DAB radio hasn't quite lived up to the hype generated a decade ago when sets cost £500 and the promise was of top-notch quality and on-screen information. The quality has been bastardised and suffers by comparison with the rich, round tones of a good FM signal. The screen information is usually duff and scrolls slower than an Iphone's Edge connection. DAB sets also suck more power than most conventional sets.

The only redeeming aspects are the odd channel such as Radio Five Live Sports Xtra, the lack of hiss and whirr of old radio, and, at least at the low end, the fact that boxes today are cheaper than the price of lunch in London's red and tranquil labyrinth.

DAB is okay but the internet has a ton of playback capabilities that are out of the reach even of pricey, recordable DAB sets right now. It will be interesting to see how internet radio appliances stack up once those boxes are refined. µ