ENJOY YOUR RADIO

Despite the competition from the Internet, mobile phones, tablets, computer games, television, etc. radio is still a very popular form of entertainment and information. According to Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR) some 89% of all adults listen to the radio at least once a week. There are well over 100 million radios in the UK -that is almost 2 radios for every adult.

Public radio broadcasting started in the UK in 1922 and we have all grown up with radio being part of the soundtrack to our lives. The radio is on in the kitchen (but increasingly being replaced by the TV), it plays as we drive our cars and is often heard when we go into shops. Builders love their radios to keep them company as they work in difficult and dirty conditions. However radio is under threat, not just from other forms of entertainment but from successive governments who have threatened to close down FM broadcasts and force people to buy DAB radios. DAB broadcasts started in the UK back in 1995 but only 24.5% of people listen on DAB. FM (VHF) and AM (Medium Wave) broadcasts still account for 56.4% of all listeners. FM broadcasts began in the UK in 1955 and provides far better audio quality than the DAB broadcasts. In fact DAB itself is likely to be replaced by DAB+, a new format which is supposed to be better than the original DAB.

I have been a radio fan all of my life and believe that radio is the premier media in that it can be accessed anywhere, is easy to use, offers great variety and is very affordable. In order to get more out of radio here are a few suggestions that you may want to explore:

  1. Get an aerial. Most of us will have some sort of Hi-Fi system which includes a radio tuner. In order to get the best possible stereo sound it is essential to have an external (or loft mounted) aerial. Regardless of whether you have an FM tuner or a DAB tuner, an outside aerial is a must to bring in a full range of stations in stereo. In the Havant area with an outside FM aerial one can listen to: Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, BBC Radio Solent, Spirit FM, Heart FM, Classic FM, Capital FM, Wave FM, Jack FM, Breeze FM.(all in full stereo)
  2. 2.Angel Radio Havant (Community), Express FM (Community), Isle of Wight Radio and BBC Radio Sussex (excellent mono signal)
  3. 3.Listen to radio via your TV. If your TV is close to your Hi-fi and you don’t have a radio tuner or wish to install an aerial then you can connect your TV audio output to the audio input socket of your hi-fi amplifier. I have recently connected a TV to my stereo system by using a Digital Coaxial SPDIF cable (about £4 on the internet). This gives FM quality stereo radio sound without the need to buy a separate tuner and aerial. It also dramatically improves the TV sound without the need to buy a clumsy and expensive Soundbar. If your Hi-Fi amplifier does not have a digital coaxial input socket you may need to purchase a digital to analogue converter (from £12 via various internet suppliers) and connect this device to your amp using phono-plugs. Freeview, Freesat or Sky Radio do not provide all the local stations obtainable on FM (or DAB) but will give you all the BBC National stations plus some national commercial stations (mainly pop music) Currently 5% of all radio listening is done via the TV.
  4. 4.Do a quick check of all the radios you have in your home. Do they all work, do they have batteries installed or mains leads plugged in? If not get them going and put one in each room that you use regularly. That way you can enjoy radio wherever you are in the house.
  5. 5.If your radios are all rather old and give poor performance why not treat yourself to a new radio. If you are unsure what to buy try visiting a local specialist such as O’Reilly & Son in Market Parade, Havant who stock a large range of DAB and FM radios. Expect to pay from £40 -£200 for a FM/DAB portable radio. I can also recommend the publication “Radio Listeners Guide 2015” which has in-depth reviews of over 30 new radios and detailed listings of well over 100 radios. This book is available direct from the publisher for £7.50 (inc postage) www.radioguide.co.uk
  6. 6.Do tune around and enjoy the diversity of radio today. It is very easy to leave your radio tuned to one station and never try listening to anything else. We would not want to watch just one TV channel so why stick to one radio station? Here is Havant we are fortunate in having Angel Radio (101.1 FM and DAB). This was one of the first community stations in the UK and has a unique blend of programming presented by and aimed at older listeners. If you enjoy classical music then both Classic FM (100.3 FM) and Radio 3 (90.7 FM) offer 24 hour quality music. If you tire of the bland pop music format of many commercial stations then BBC Radio 6 (DAB only) may offer something different. My personal favourite is Radio 4 which offers a great blend of comedy and documentaries as well as news and current affairs.

Enjoy your listening.

By
David Harris - Freelance Writer
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