From my North Norfolk News column, July 2009. This lightly edited archive text reflects the predictions and radio services of the period, not the present-day status of FM or DAB.
I dare say in the past month most readers will have at least once turned on their radio and tuned around looking for a decent radio station to listen to.
Whether it was for the crackly sounds of Radio 4 longwave for the cricket, to enter a competition on North Norfolk Radio or for the early morning delights on Radio Norfolk – maybe some of you readers are even fans of Radio 1.
But I doubt most of you will have done so on a digital radio, which last week the radio body decided would be the only way to get these stations in six years' time.
Digital radio – or DAB radio – promises a higher quality of sound compared to that of FM, less interference, more stations and an easier way of tuning in than with current radios.
The only problem is that, just like with Freeview, this new technology has plenty of flaws to put buyers off choosing a digital radio over any of the current radios that are out there.
For starters, although digital radios now retail for a small price, FM radios will always be much cheaper.
If you want a digital radio alarm clock to wake up to the sounds of hip hop on the BBC’s new station 1Xtra – who wouldn’t? – you will probably have to pay an extra £30 on top of what you would pay for a normal radio alarm clock.
And of course, you can’t just turn off FM radio signals straight away because very few cars will be fitted with digital radios nor do they have the capacity to do so.
Even if you did want to drive around listening to extra coverage of Wimbledon from the BBC, the cost factor of a new digital radio in your car is probably going to put you off.
This is all before you take into account the usual conundrums of new technology for Norfolk – the strength of signal.
Although from my home in Holt I can pick up a fair number of BBC stations on my digital radio, it all depends on where I’m standing as to whether I can pick up any more.
That’s fine if I want to hear new Asian music or hear Radio 1 in better quality – it’s not so good if I want some of the commercial stations.
This isn’t the case for the other parts of Norfolk, where if you’re lucky enough to be close to the transmitter in West Runton or Tacolneston, it shouldn’t be a problem.
But for the future of radio to really take off in this part of Britain there will need to be more transmitters available to avoid standing on a chair holding the aerial up in the air.
So would I say the investment is worth it? If you can get your hands on a radio that provides both DAB and FM – which are widely available – I would say it definitely is if you’re prepared to risk getting a signal.
For those local residents planning on DAB hoping for the entire selection of stations currently on offer I would say hold back.
One thing is for sure, that within the next five years, we will all need to go out and buy a new radio to continue listening to our favourite music and presenters. The “future” is coming…