Radio Stations: Which one(s) do you listen to?

[whhistle]

Local BBC radio.
Radio 2.

 

[radamfi]

DAB doesn't snoop on you or use up your download quota.

Satellite radio is better: FIP, RTL2 and VRT2 are all good and each region of Germany has at least 3 stations.

If you don't like being "snooped" on then presumably you don't use the internet at all.

Internet radio uses a trivial amount of data when compared to typical home broadband allowances. A typical 128 kbps stream uses about 50 MB per hour. Internet radio allows you to listen to vastly more stations around the world including almost any station in the UK. No special equipment is required to listen to internet radio. A basic smartphone or tablet will suffice.

To pick up those stations mentioned, you need to direct your dish at 19.2 degrees east, which is inconvenient for most UK residents as most people in the UK have the dish pointed at 28.2 degrees east. So you either need a second dish or install a dual LNB.

 

[radamfi]

There has been a small step towards weaning the UK off the horror of plain vanilla DAB with the launch of Gold, Heart Extra and Smooth Extra on DAB+, which is a more efficient use of capacity and avoids the need to broadcast music stations in mono. Until now Ofcom had imposed a 30% DAB+ maximum limit of multiplex capacity. The main issue hindering DAB+ adoption by broadcasters is that people with old DAB radios cannot hear DAB+ stations unless the radio is capable of a software update.

 

[ashkeba]

Internet radio uses a trivial amount of data when compared to typical home broadband allowances. A typical 128 kbps stream uses about 50 MB per hour. Internet radio allows you to listen to vastly more stations around the world including almost any station in the UK. No special equipment is required to listen to internet radio. A basic smartphone or tablet will suffice.

You can't have it both ways. It's either home broadband equipment or a trivial amount of data. If using a basic smartphone deal to listen, you could use up the data allowance in a day or two.

To pick up those stations mentioned, you need to direct your dish at 19.2 degrees east, which is inconvenient for most UK residents as most people in the UK have the dish pointed at 28.2 degrees east. So you either need a second dish or install a dual LNB.

Or a USALS motor. But it's worth doing. Others above have pointed out how poor UK radio is at the moment, but even it runs at 160kbps (Global) to 192kbps (BBC) on satellite, while some 19.2e radio stations broadcast at over 300kbps. Better audio quality, no snooping, for a one-off setup cost that has other benefits (like wider TV channel choice, not only the blinkered British). If you like listening to the radio, I think it's worth it.

 

[radamfi]

You can't have it both ways. It's either home broadband equipment or a trivial amount of data. If using a basic smartphone deal to listen, you could use up the data allowance in a day or two.

But if you already have home broadband then the data consumption is largely irrelevant. I mean you would be picking up the home Wi-Fi on your smartphone, so you wouldn't be using mobile data. Obviously if you have Wi-Fi you probably also have a computer so you could use that instead of a smartphone. I only mentioned smartphone as that would be the lowest cost way of listening to radio using home Wi-Fi if you didn't have any other equipment.

Many BBC radio stations have 320 kbps AAC internet streams:

http://www.radiofeeds.co.uk/query.asp?feedme=bbc

I can see the point of satellite radio if you are in a remote area where there is no fast broadband available. I used to use it myself in the days before broadband as you could pick up AM only stations in stereo.

 

[Bobdogs]

I listen to any station but 5 live on a Saturday morning. The BBC couldn't wait to fill Danny Bakers' slot with another boring leftie who just happens to be "mates" with Ed Miliband. I tuned in for half an hour this morning. It's just another boring inane chat show for the politically correct. Oh how I laughed at his bedroom revelations. Has Jo Brand been banned by the BBC for her joke? I rest my case! Thank you for TMS at9.30.

 

[Mintona]

I very rarely listen to radio live, but regularly listen to podcasts produced by Radio 1, Radio 4 and Radio X.