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Introduction

Zerobase
Rapport
(in dutch)

Pressrelease Ministry
(in
dutch)

Kabinetsstandpunt 2000
(in
dutch)

Zerobase
Introduction

Commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of
Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Broadcast Partners and
Nozema have calculated a new frequency plan for the FM-band, which should
be implemented on September 1st 2001.

According to the instructions, the
researchers have planned the public networks conventionally and the
commercial networks by using modern techniques such as the near single
frequency technique.

In this plan a stricter version of the
TNO-planning norm is used. This further restriction consists of
calculating the coverage areas using the method of dividing the landscape
into sections of 100 x 100 meters and taking into account the topography
and morphology.

Of each section the receiving quality per
transmitter is established.

Apart from an ITU propagation model Broadcast
Partners and Nozema used the advanced Longley & Rice model, with which
very accurate and detailed coverage predictions were calculated. The
quality of the plan is therefore of a very high standard.

For that matter frequency planning by this
method is a novelty; nowhere else had it been done this way before. From
September 2001 The Netherlands may well have the most efficiently planned
FM-band, without affecting the main aspects of the receiving quality. In
fact on average this has even improved.

Main conditions

Some of the main conditions for the planning
were:

Feasible international coordination, not only taking
into consideration the international agreements, but also the net
structures and the need for frequency space of the neighbouring
countries.

Use of existing antenna-locations
or new locations, of which the actual use per September 2001 could be
guaranteed.

Profit of the plan

All broadcasting categories benefit, but in
particular the space for commercial radio stations increases significantly
by approximately a factor 2.5. Thus creating a better balance between
public broadcasting and commercial broadcasting.

The local broadcasting band (104.9 up to and
including 107.9 MHz) has not been part of the zerobase project. In
Broadcast Partners’ opinion a practical rescheduling of that band could
provide even more benefits.

Both operators Nozema and Broadcast Partners
agree that the new zerobase plan utilises the FM-spectrum at its best. A
timely implementation however requires careful directing, while the
international coordination still has to be completed.

The zerobase frequency plan has been
created by a team consisting of employees of Nozema (5 persons), Broadcast
Partners (11 persons) and the Dutch Radiocommunications Agency (RDR; 7
persons). The project took nearly one year to
complete.

The zerobase team

Bauer, Markus
(L&S)
Calculatingteam

Besten, Remco den
(RDR)
Steeringgroup

Binnenmarsch, Bert (Broadcast
Partners)
Databaseteam

Bodewes, Frank
(RDR)
Calculatingteam

Bruntink, Gerjo
(Nozema)
Steeringgroup

Cabau, Deborah (Broadcast
Partners)
Reporting support

Derksen, John
(RDR)
Steeringgroup

Doeven, Jan
(Nozema)
Steeringgroup

Feenstra, Piet
(RDR)
Databaseteam

Fieten, Wim (Nozema)
Project
coördinator

Hamelink, Steven (Broadcast
Partners)
Planteam

Hoeven, Robert-jan van der (Broadcast
Partners)
Steeringgroup

Jansen, Jos (Broadcast
Partners)
Support planteam

Kazmi,
AzamNozema
Databaseteam

Maas, Gillis (Broadcast
Partners)
support planteam

Meter, Gerrit
(RDR)
Databaseteam

Milius, Henk (Broadcast
Partners)
Planteam

Mouthaan, Marjon
(Nozema)
Planteam

Oosterhoff, Ingmar (Broadcast
Partners)
System administrator

Oyen, Ludo van
(DGTP)
Steeringgroup

Paes, Saskia (Broadcast
Partners)
support planteam

Smith, Ben
(RDR)
Kwaliteitsborging

Stouwe, Fenni van
der
Secretary

Vermeersch, Yves (Broadcast
Partners)
support planteam

Vught, Martijn van (Broadcast
Partners)
Calculatingteam

Wenz, Stephan
(L&S)
Planteam

Zijdenbos, Marc
(RDR)
Calculatingteam

History

In 1994 it already becomes clear there is more space
in the FM-band available than the authorities assumed; two commercial
radiostations start broadcasting after a few years of temporary permits.

1995: Sky Radio and Radio 538 obtain FM-frequencies.

1995/1996: Several commercial radiostations ask
Broadcast Partners to investigate the supposed shortage of
FM-frequencies. The outcome is clear: there is much more available and
the division of the FM-band is certainly not the most efficient one.

1996: As a result of the accumulating indications
that there is more FM-frequency space available than used at that time
Minister Jorritsma of the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management commissions TNO-FEL to investigate a redivision of the
FM-band using modern techniques and practical planning norms.

April 1998: TNO-FEL presents its plan. There is
hardly any support for it; it is met with a lot of criticism.

January 1999: NTL (UK) comes up with a second opinion
stating that TNO-FEL has calculated too conservatively. The VCR,
Association of Commercial Radio, asked NTL for this report.

January 1999: Broadcast Partners announces it will
produce a report containing comment on the TNO-report as well as
alternatives for it.

February 1999: Broadcast Partners presents its
extensive report. Not only does it prove that TNO has calculated too
conservatively, but also that their report contains many, major mistakes
and that the plan is not even practically feasible.
With its report
Broadcast Partners also shows the framework for a new frequency plan,
based on modern techniques and planning methods.

16 April 1999: Assistant Secretary De Vries of the
Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management informs the
House of Commons that the TNO report contains mistakes and announces
further research.
NOS (Dutch Public Broadcasting) is not in favour
of the techniques proposed by Broadcast Partners, although Nozema, NOS’
own operator, has admitted that with these techniques a lot more is
possible than TNO has come up with.

23 April 1999: Broadcast Partners suggests the hybrid
solution, consisting of conventional planning for the public networks
and NSFN-planning for the commercial frequencies. Preliminary studies
indicate that this will generate significantly more frequency space. An
important condition however is that both operators, Nozema and Broadcast
Partners, work together on this new frequency plan in order to ensure
sufficient acceptance of the outcome, thus giving it a realistic chance
to succeed.
This hybrid solution is in fact the plan that is now
presented.

Summer 1999: Broadcast Partners, Nozema and the
Authorities agree on the technical criteria of the new frequency plan
and start working.

1 May 2000: Broadcast Partners and Nozema deliver
their final report.

Meanwhile the cabinet has opted for Scenario 3 of the
zerobase plan, meaning:

Improved geographic coverage of The Netherlands by the
Public Networks with a reduced overlap in the networks

Repair of the coverage shortages in the networks of
Radio 1 and Radio 4

Repair of the coverage shortages of the Regional Public
Networks

Repair of a number of problems of local public stations

Transmitters in the four major cities (local public
stations, aimed at minorities)

Seven networks for commercial use with audience coverage
of 70 to 75% (average 73.5 %)

One commercial network with an audience coverage of 58 %

Transmitters for regional
commercial radiostations with a total audience average of 120 %

Broadcast
Partners.
Axelsestraat 58
NL-4537 AL Terneuzen
The
Netherlands.
Tel: +31(0)115 683555
Fax: +31(0)115 631285

e-mail:mailto:[email-masked]