News and Events
Wireless microphone users attack government compensation plans
29th Jul 2010
The programme making and special events sector, which encompasses large-scale West End shows and television shows such as The X Factor, rely on analogue radio spectrum - which will be sold off by Ofcom in 2011 - to operate wireless microphones.
Spectrum is being sold to allow mobile operators to deliver new technologies to consumers.
Because of this, the government has announced it will be providing wireless microphone users who operate on the Channel 69 frequency - which is part of the spectrum being cleared - with a �generous compensation package� to help them buy new equipment suited to a new frequency, Channel 38.
In a statement, minister for communications Ed Vaizey said the package of measures - details of which have not yet been disclosed - will �make a significant contribution to the costs of PMSE community in upgrading equipment�.
However, campaigners have claimed that Channel 69 only serves a small percentage of wireless microphone users, and that nothing has been proposed for those that have equipment that tunes to channels 31-37 and 61-68, which are also being cleared.
According to the campaigners, these are the channels that large-scale production, such as West End shows and touring musicals, need to use because of the vast number of frequencies required.
A spokesman for Save Our Sound, the campaign body set up to pressure the government for compensation, said: �To call this package generous is an abuse of the English language. The decision will devastate the small and medium-sized businesses that support the UK�s live events industry. Where are they going to find the extra money to continue to do their job? Without them, the large-scale events sector could collapse like a house of cards.�
Save Our Sound claims that no compensation has been offered for users of frequencies outside Channel 69 because notice was given of the government�s intention to move users out of them.
However, it says no alternatives have yet been offered to these users.
�How can you buy replacement equipment when you don�t know what frequencies it can operate on?,� the spokesman added.
In a statement, the Department for Businesses, Innovation and Skills confirmed the offer it has is to users of Channel 69 and that the support will not take into account the age of equipment that requires upgrading.
It said Ofcom would be providing more details of the package in due course.
Source: The Stage
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