Despite an energetic and high profile campaign co-ordinated by BEIRG (British Entertainment Industry Radio Group, whose sponsors include many leading pro audio manufacturers and PLASA) and the Save Our Sound Campaign, the impending changes in frequency allocations are set to lead to a vast proportion of wireless equipment currently in use becoming redundant. Meanwhile, the Government's proposed compensation for this has been denounced as both inadequate and over-complicated, with the need to provide proof of ownership a particularly thorny issue.
With London 2012 and the digital switchover itself rapidly approaching, the implications of the situation are now facing the industry directly, which makes a special seminar at PLASA Focus: Leeds 2011, presented by the ISCE (Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers), a "must attend" event for anyone whose business involves the use of wireless equipment, particularly radio microphones.
Alan March, business development specialist at Sennheiser and an active member of both ISCE and BEIRG, will deliver the presentation which will explore current spectrum policy thinking at Ofcom, discuss the digital switchover and the Digital Dividend, and the Channel 69 to Channel 38 transition. Other topics include what type of wireless telegraphy licences to use for specific wireless microphone applications, why it is critical for the future and how to obtain them.
March comments: "The purpose of the session is to take a closer look at where we sit in our world in the much broader context of spectrum allocation in general, as we are a small part of a much bigger picture. People need to be aware of who the other players are, what access they want in future, and what actions we need to take to maintain access in the spectrum that we do have."
The session will be held on Wednesday, 20 April 2011, from 3.00pm - 4.00pm, in the Bury Theatre.
