The Stage

Taking issue

Published Monday 4 January 2010 at 16:30

We read with alarm the article “Ofcom reassures wireless microphone users about their future” (Stage Online, December 16), which we feel conveyed an undue sense of complacency regarding the issues affecting programme-making and special events users, equipment owners/operators and the public who enjoy the events that PMSE activities support. The recent announcement by Ofcom concerning the new licensing arrangements for Channel 38 access have neither moved the industry forward or back. Channel 38 has previously been announced as a future channel for the use of wireless mics, in-ear monitors and other PMSE equipment.

The key point that was missed in the article is that the PMSE industry does not work on a two-year business cycle. Equipment is purchased, used and maintained for as long as it is economic to keep it in service. This typically means that it stays in use for at least ten, often 15 or 20, years. The government’s action in deciding to move PMSE from its current spectrum allocation has so far failed on two key points. Firstly, it has yet to provide full clarity as to what interleaved spectrum will ultimately be available at what UK locations for use by PMSE equipment users. This means that manufacturers cannot manufacture next generation equipment because no one yet knows precisely what frequencies the equipment should be able to tune to. Whilst Channel 38 has been confirmed, this is only one 8 MHz channel and even medium-sized productions often have demands for spectrum that require more than one 8 MHz channel. Secondly, the lead time on implementation of the digital switchover and PMSE’s eviction from the 15 channels it currently uses, is so short in terms of business cycles within the industry that there is a lot of perfectly usable equipment that will be rendered redundant come 2012.

It should be noted that the issues surrounding PMSE and the digital switchover are not as simple as merely substituting one channel (69) for another (38). As has been mentioned above, PMSE currently uses 15 channels of spectrum, all of which the industry will be denied access to come 2012. Furthermore, it is disingenuous to claim that Channel 38 offers the same degree of utility as Channel 69 does. This is based on the egregious notion that Channel 38 offers nationwide access, whereas, in reality, its use is severely constrained across vast areas of the north-west of England and Cambridgeshire, where the existence of radio astronomy means that PMSE users cannot deploy their equipment at will nationally.

It is over simplistic to suggest to your readership that the recent announcement by Ofcom regarding Channel 38 heralds the end of PMSE’s woes. There are two main issues, future frequency availability for PMSE and funding to meet the PMSE community’s costs with regard to moving to ‘new’ frequencies. We thank you for the opportunity to clarify the situation and suggest that those who wish to be fully informed, in particular with regard to the second of the two above stated issues, make their way to www.saveoursounduk.com.

Alun Rees

Email supplied