Concert FM to move to AM only, Sky and Streaming, this must be wrong

Forums › Online streaming services › Concert FM to move to AM only, Sky and Streaming, this must be wrong

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#2413920 7-Feb-2020 01:00

In the meantime on a short trip between Wgtn and Foxton of 100km listening to Nat Radio 101FM we have to change frequenchy 4 times or just leave it on AM. Any classical requirements are covered by an old ipod in the glovebox.

You have the wrong sort of car radio then - both RNZ National and RNZ Concert send out signals on FM that allow car radios to automatically switch to the next frequency when the old signal gets too low. My ancient Nakamichi does this, and it should be pretty standard on most modern car radios by now, except for the very cheapest ones. If your car radio displays the station name, instead of the frequency, then it probably has this capability too.

This whole idea feels like KiwiRail trying to turn off the North Island electrification. A really stupid idea with no chance of a good result. So I hope the outcome will be the same - the Government putting in a bit of extra money and getting them do to it right. In this case, maybe by setting up another FM network if it really is a good idea to have a public youth music station.

geek4me

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#2414027 7-Feb-2020 09:43

Sad to see the Concert Program go off FM in May to be replaced by a program aimed at youth. Has anyone done a survey to see if this is what young people want? Who among the youth still listen to live radio? Young people listening to live radio is probably dying off faster than older people listening to the Concert Program.

Rather than switch RNZ Concert to AM radio why not switch to DAB+ instead which sounds much better to listen to.

I suspect youth radio will not go far as savvy young people are mainly streaming music content and there is still The Edge, ZM or George for live radio listeners.

How many Geekzoners still listen to live radio and more importantly would you listen to the new youth program replacing RNZ Concert?

Oh no, not another end of the world prediction

cyril7

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#2414033 7-Feb-2020 09:56

geek4me:

....... Snip

Has anyone done a survey to see if this is what young people want? Who among the youth still listen to live radio? Young people listening to live radio is probably dying off faster than older people listening to the Concert Program.

Rather than switch RNZ Concert to AM radio why not switch to DAB+ instead which sounds much better to listen to.

How many Geekzoners still listen to live radio and more importantly would you listen to the new youth program replacing RNZ Concert?

Exactly, I asked my two boys 21 and 25 exactly this, and they looked at me strange, and agreed that most folk there age dont, or if they do its ear candy stuff (ie mainstream drvie time).

As for DAB/DAB+ I think that option just wont happen.

Cyril

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#2414089 7-Feb-2020 10:06

geek4me:

How many Geekzoners still listen to live radio and more importantly would you listen to the new youth program replacing RNZ Concert?

Admittedly I almost never listen to live radio any longer, but when I used to, it was RNZ Concert, which felt like a friend. I would hate to see it leave FM on principle. I think this is a bad decision, though it does seem to be an international trend. I suppose times are changing. Unlike some, I think classical music is a cultural good worthy of support.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

old3eyes

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#2414200 7-Feb-2020 13:11

Bung: DAB was trialled for too long in Wgtn and Auck for about 10 years. This from NBR in 2018

"Reading between the lines of comments of MBIE and C&H officials who spoke to NBR, it seems the most likely scenario is that DAB will quietly die on the back-burner.

But even if it is taken seriously, the best case scenario for policy work, then a law change, is probably around two years. By that time, internet radio will be more pervasive. There will be more cars with the likes of Apple Play and Android Play for one-click access to streaming stations, and Spark, Vodafone and 2degrees will be rolling out 5G networks for better, wider and higher data cap mobile internet coverage."

In the meantime on a short trip between Wgtn and Foxton of 100km listening to Nat Radio 101FM we have to change frequenchy 4 times or just leave it on AM. Any classical requirements are covered by an old ipod in the glovebox.

On my car Mazda CX5 they just change the station automatically as you drive. .

Regards,

Old3eyes

alexx

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#2414631 8-Feb-2020 13:48

evilengineer:

All of which is entirely your opinion.

Again, what makes classical more worthy than any other type of music?

It is totally elitist to pay for something that appeals only to a limited number of primarily older, whiter, richer people.

And why should 96%+ of taxpayers fund something they don't use and have no interest in?

Everyone's keen on "user pays" until its something they use.

The UK has the commercial Classic FM. If it was viable nothing to stop someone doing the same here.

Fail to see why the taxpayer should stump the bill.

The music played on the concert program isn't restricted to whiter, richer people. Just search for New Zealand opera singers and you might find a number of singers that don't match this description, although some of them might be richer than when they started.

Unlike many other music genres, the music of the Classical and Baroque era gave us many of the instruments and musical traditions still in use today. Do you listen to music written and performed with an equal tempered scale? That came from the Baroque/Classical period.

You might argue that Black American music genres such as Jazz are just as influential on the music of today. You can find Jazz and world music on the concert program too.

Of course there are internet options, but many of the people listening to the concert program don't use them and people without large data plans might find their place of work blocks streaming services from company wifi networks. Streaming isn't a solution for everyone right now.

I'm sceptical about this well intentioned youth station. Watch it fail to attract a significant audience and the frequency gets transferred to a commercial station in the next 5-10 years.

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#2414645 8-Feb-2020 15:16

old3eyes:

cyril7:

Hi, well Tom the stuff contibutor (who is well known around here) tells me that the move to AM is what is intended, yet the article says the opposite toward the end, I have asked he gets it clarified, moving back to AM takes us back 80yrs

Cyril

That's a real backwards move as AM has a terrible bandwidth and no stereo sound.

Although ...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YKkXeQVZtA

richms

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#2414646 8-Feb-2020 15:20

I really dont see why they cant just pack in more FM frequencies, they're fine with 0.4MHz spacing between some of them, so do that to the whole band and plenty of room for all the yoof networks and classical stations and whining talkback whingers.

Richard rich.ms

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#2414656 8-Feb-2020 16:35

Hi, Richard, I dont believe its really a spectrum resource issue, not that it could be, it will all be down to $ for equipment, maintenance yada yada.

Cyril

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#2415326 9-Feb-2020 22:27

cyril7:

Hi, Richard, I dont believe its really a spectrum resource issue, not that it could be, it will all be down to $ for equipment, maintenance yada yada.

Cyril

I think you're correct.

From an article on the RNZ website

After the move was announced, Thompson and Macalister told RNZ's Mediawatch RNZ Concert's classical music focus had prevented RNZ from fulfilling its Charter's requirement to broadcast a range of music and performances, and the new station would focus on New Zealand music spanning multiple genres.

"We are expanding our services off our current resources. There are some tough choices in that, but this is a really good story of RNZ getting to more New Zealanders," Thompson said.

Talk about spin Trev, to paraphrase Mr F Dagg.

Really good story my a**e.

If they really cannot fulfil their charter with their current resources perhaps their overheads are out of kilter OR they need to make a case for more resources. These routes probably mean either cuts to senior executive salaries or an impact on someone's KPI's.

Rather than doing whats right let's just cripple one of our current programmes but still deliver it so that we can say we're meeting the charter. With the money we save we'll start a new programme for which there is no proven market. However we can proudly announce we have improved our compliance of the charter requirements which is no doubt part of someones KPI's and a nice bonus.

DUMB!!!!

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#2415485 10-Feb-2020 10:33

I have been running a poll on "Neighbourly" in the Kapiti area and thought the results be of interest

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Rikkitic

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#2415489 10-Feb-2020 10:37

Even Jacinda Ardern has said this is a bad idea.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

wellygary

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#2415504 10-Feb-2020 11:12

The planned changes as previously announced are pretty much dead in the water, when the PM says she is "frustrated" with Radio NZ and is getting it in the ear from Helen Clark and Michael Cullen, you know its over... so lets see what rabbit they can pull out of the hat today

There are FM frequencies for a Youth Radio Network that have existed for at least 20 years, they are currently unused, but would require $$$ to turning into a actual radio station...

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/119387957/government-could-freeup-fm-frequency-to-keep-rnz-concert-on-radio-in-stereo

The Government is believed to be working a plan that would allow RNZ Concert to keep broadcasting on the radio in stereo on FM.

RNZ announced last week that it intended to reallocate Concert FM's frequency to a new youth-oriented music channel that it plans to have on air later this year, prompting a backlash from some listeners.

It is understood RNZ does not have sufficient radio spectrum in the FM band to broadcast both the new channel and RNZ Concert on FM.

But it is understood the Government could reallocate some unused FM spectrum to RNZ to address that issue.

The Government is expected to make an announcement later on Monday and Broadcasting Minister Kris Faafoi has been approached for comment.

RNZ spokesman John Barr said it understood that RNZ's music proposals were to be discussed at Cabinet this afternoon.

"It would inappropriate to comment further until the outcome of those discussions is known," he said.

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#2415517 10-Feb-2020 12:45

I wonder if this was just a clever ploy by RNZ to embarrass the government into giving them more spectrum?

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

surfisup1000

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#2415518 10-Feb-2020 12:46

I think this is a good thing.

The numbers who listen are miniscule. Who is to say they have more rights than other special interest groups of similar size?

Although, I would have targeted other areas of government spending before concert FM.

It is crazy we still have a womens affairs department, or department of horse racing, or maori affairs. Working for families is a big have on the taxpayer too.

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