MP BACKS COMMUNITY RADIO

In a debate in Parliament, local MP Maggie Throup has backed the move for community radio stations to be part of the DAB network. Currently inhibited by astronomical costs, community radio stations such as Erewash Sound are too often restricted in their coverage. With a new Bill going through Parliament, this is about to change and will be of great benefit to Erewash residents and their local radio station. Speaking after the debate, Maggie said:

 

“At the moment, residents in Long Eaton often struggle to get good reception for Erewash Sound due to limited band width and transmission power. I have been looking into this issue for some time now and believe that one solution is for DAB radio to be more affordable for local community radio stations such as Erewash Sound. The Government has been carrying out trials to check the feasibility of rolling out DAB at a local level, and the results look very promising. As more and more people use DAB, and as technology changes, it is important to make sure community radio stations don’t get left behind or priced out of the market. The Bill got through its Second Reading and now will be considered at Committee Stage when amendments may be made. However I am optimistic that it will pass through the various legislative stages relatively easily and speedily, opening up the opportunity for Erewash Sound to go digital and broadcast to the whole of Erewash.”