Get fair funding to replace your radio mics - Respond to OFCOM

Just been looking round the OFCOM website and there is an online response form to the "clearing the 800 MHz band" consultation document.

If you are a licensed user of channel 69 it's in your interests to respond - especially to questions 14 and 15 - which are:

Question 14: Do you agree with our approach to determining eligibility for, and our assessment of the level of, funding to move PMSE from channel 69?
Question 15: Do you agree that three years is long enough for PMSE to move from channel 69?

The response form can be reached at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/800mhz/howtorespond/

The Consultation document is downloadable from http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/800mhz/

It's a long document and it's not all relevant but page 44 sections 5.68 and 5.69 detail the criteria they are using for assigning "funding" basically if your mics are nearly ten years old you won't get much. If they are older, you won't get anything. Never mind the fact that the kind of expensive radio mics we buy will be perfectly good for longer than that and there's no point in replacing perfectly good mics until technology advances. Never mind that we might not normally replace all our mics at once as the move to channel 38 will force many of us to do.

Paragraph 5.70 should also be contested. As it stands, anyone getting a license after 2nd Feb 2009 won't be get funding even though there is no other UK wide, two year licensed channel yet available.

On the length of time available, I personally think that is only enough time if both channel 38 and 69 are available all over the country for the entire 3 years, which they won't be will they?

OFCOM are publishing the responses on the website, there are not many there at the moment. I think we should give them something to think about.

The British Entertainment Industry Radio Group (BEIRG) are campaigning to "maintain access to a sufficient quantity and quality of radio frequencies to ensure the continued production of material currently used and respected worldwide." As an individual you can join BEIRG for £35

British Radio Mics to be "Switched off"

Below is the full text of a letter from OFCOM which was received today by licensed radio mic users in the UK. It informs us that the radio mic frequencies we use will no longer be available after "late 2012" but that they hope "funding" will be in place to help us move to another frequency.

The letter:
20 March 2009

The Digital Dividend and availability of channel 69 for wireless microphones

This letter is to make you aware that Ofcom is consulting on important proposals concerning the future availability of channel 69 (854-862 MHz) for wireless microphones.

Throughout our Digital Dividend Review, which has considered how best to release the spectrum freed up by digital switchover (DSO) for new uses, we have noted the importance that wireless-microphone users place on having access to high-quality, UK-wide spectrum. We had therefore envisaged channel 69 remaining available for wireless-microphone use in the future, albeit that access would be granted by a band manager rather than by us or our agents (currently JFMG).

However, an increasing number of other European countries are creating their own digital dividends that include channel 69 as well as two other channels 61 and 62, currently planned for other use by (digital terrestrial television) in the UK after DSO. This is because this spectrum is likely to be particularly suitable for new generations of mobile-broadband services. As a result, we have considered whether we should include these channels in the UK's digital dividend and concluded that there would be very substantial net benefits from making this change.

If we were to include channel 69 in the digital dividend, we must find other spectrum that is a suitable replacement for wireless microphones. We must also make sure that the change has as little adverse effect on users as possible. This includes ensuring existing licensees do not bear extra costs that must reasonably be incurred to move from channel 69.

We have proposed channel 38 (606-614 MHz) as the best alternative to channel 69 for wireless microphones. Channel 38 is available now across the UK, subject only to restrictions to protect a small number of radioastronomy sites. These restrictions will be removed during 2012.

To facilitate moving wireless microphones from channel 69, we have also proposed that:
- users should have continued UK-wide access to the spectrum being released by DSO until late 2012;
- funding should be available to cover the cost of modifying or replacing existing licensed equipment able to use channel 69 but not channel 38.

Our proposals can be found at
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/800mhz/800mhz.pdf We invite responses by 20 April 2009 and expect to announce our decisions shortly after.

You may also wish to note that wireless microphones can and will continue to be able to use channel 70 (863-865 MHz) without the need for a wireless telegraphy licence. Wireless microphones that use channel 69 may well be able to use channel 70 with little or no modification. Your equipment manufacturer may be able to advise you. However, you should also be aware that using spectrum on a licence-exempt basis does not confer the same protection from interference as licensed use.

If you would like to discuss the contents of this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me using the details given above.
Yours sincerely,

John Canavan

Radio Mics, the Digital Dividend – why should you care?

Radio mics, what would we do without them? They have become a tool that we take very much for granted, meaning almost all productions use them. The type of quick turnover television we are used to has become very reliant on them whether they are used by a sound recordist, camera person or a researcher / AP ‘doing’ the sound. The same technology is also used for wireless links to camera, in-ear monitoring and of course the dozens of mics used on West End shows.

Radio microphone frequencies, unless you are a sound recordist are likely something that you never think about. Most radio mics used for TV production work on a set of frequencies from 854 – 862 Mhz more simply known as channel 69. If you work on a programme that involves multiple crews you might see a gaggle of recordists clustered around their electronic handbags first thing in the morning and wonder what they are doing. Other than gossiping they will most likely be working out how to divide the frequencies that work together between the crews that need them. It’s an essential bit of preparation, often transparent to anyone else that helps a shoot run smoothly.

Anyone who users a channel 69 radio mic needs a licence to do so. Less known is that at the start of 2013 all these licenses will be withdrawn and the frequencies handed over to a big paying buyer as part of the digital dividend. The mics currently owned by recordists, productions who have bought their own, facilities houses who rent them out, camera people, West End shows etc will become obsolete and need to be either modified or simply thrown away and replaced. Using the currently available equipment won’t just be unlawful, it’ll become impossible because something else will be using that part of the spectrum. The radio mic you, your company or your sound recordist paid £2,500 for last year will have turned into useless junk.

So why is this happening? It’s all part of the “Digital Dividend”. The analogue television signal will be turned off all over the country by 2012 freeing a large amount of radio spectrum. OFCOM are using this opportunity to reorganise the spectrum and sell off a slice generating income. Part of that slice includes channel 69 which will most likely go to a mobile phone company or similar allowing them to use the same part of the spectrum all other Europe. It’s suggested it will be used to provide things like video over the mobile phone network and wireless broadband. Good news for the consumer you might think but bad news for us who ironically currently use radio mics to produce the programming that might one day appear as content on those mobile networks. The sell off was due to take place prior to the Olympic games and the fact it has been moved reflects the amount of chaos OFCOM must realise this will generate. Imagine the games without access to radio mics!

Switching to another area of the spectrum is not as straight forward as it may sound. There’s only a certain amount of the spectrum that is suitable for radio mic use at all and much of that is currently occupied. The idea that has currently been put forward is using Channel 38, currently used by astronomy, radio telescopes like Jodrell Bank. So first they would have to be given a new home. Channel 38 on it’s own is unlikely to provide enough space for all the users being displaced. Theatre shows and other radio mic using events often use additional frequencies outside channel 69 which are also being displaced by the sell off, as yet nothing has been suggested to replace them.

Some of the newer radio mics may be modifiable to channel 38, at a price, £800 has been suggested per system but many if not most will not be practical to modify and will have to be replaced at a cost of about £2500 per system. Most sound recordists will own at least 2 radio mics, often more, facilities houses obviously a lot more.

The transition period for this may be as little as one year, which brings us to our next problem with the whole changeover. Channel 38 is not yet confirmed as our new home. The companies who make radio mics used in the UK are selling very few units at the moment because everyone knows that they will be soon be useless. Those same companies are going to have to do a lot of research and development very quickly to provide microphones for the new frequencies. They will also want to look at modifying existing units as well as actually building the vast amount of microphones that will be needed in time for the switchover. They will be doing this against a background of ever decreasing sales income from their current products and a global recession. They can’t even start yet as the new frequencies are not confirmed. One manufacturer I spoke to thought a lead time of at least 3 years would be needed to do the necessary work. OFCOM needs to make a decision soon!

Finally, since everyone currently using channel 69 will have to replace all their gear there is obviously going to be a lot of additional expenditure. Radio mics normally are usable for a great many years before replacing so it’s going to be a financial shock for many. OFCOM are promising “funding” for those licensed users who bought mics before the original announcement of the withdrawal of the frequencies. How much you get may depend on how old the equipment is, regardless of whether you would otherwise have continued to use it. Currently it seems there will be no funding for unlicensed users, or anyone unfortunate enough to have bought after the announcement was made.

So, if you or your company own radio mics check, are they on the affected frequencies? Do you have a licence? If you don’t have license and you are using radio mics anywhere in channels 61-69 (790 – 862 Mhz) you’ll be facing a big bill to update. If you have a license, and you believe OFCOM you should get “funding” to help replace them….

As to the cut off date of when the announcement was made – well there’s even debate as to when that was. The announcement was made, withdrawn, then remade so no-one is quite sure.

I, and many others await the outcome with interest.

You can read more about radio mic licensing at http://www.jfmg.co.uk/

Sanken Cos11 "Vampire" clips

These new "vampire" clips for the Sanken cos11 have been designed by US sound mixer, Percy Urgena. I haven't seen any to test but they look very neat and low profile for discreet mic placement. Having used vampire clips for Trams previously I missed them when I swapped to Sankens. I mainly use sticky tape now but in situations where mics have to be switched quickly or where the tape won't stick a vampire clip option could be very handy. It's always great to see products designed by jobbing sound recordists as they address the real problems of working in the field.

Percy is looking for a UK distributor, but for the moment his clips are available online. There's also a version for use with the Cos11 microphone windshield with more pictures and information about the clips on his website. Please let him know you read about them on this blog!

Park Life DVD now available

Park Life is now available on DVD from the Cotswold Wildlife Park online shop

A six part documentary series (as seen on ITV) set within the community of keepers, gardeners and animals who all live at the 160 acre Park.

From the challenge of introducing a new lion to the lioness, to the drama of catching the adult crocodiles for a health check; from the departure of a Siamang Gibbon to Lisbon Zoo to the arrival of a pair of Bamboo Lemurs, one of the rarest mammals on Earth, these colourful films bring us up close and personal with a diverse range of creatures.

This entertaining DVD gives a fascinating insight into the work of the keepers and gardeners and makes a great gift for all animal lovers and fans of the Park.

Price: £9.50 (Including VAT at 15%)