[London Lite]

Ah that's so cool, I don't get a chance to listen to breakfast but do listen to drive time which I am 99% sure is voice tracked rather than live?

Drivetime is live across the Absolute Radio network, except on Fridays when Bush & Richie present a live request show on the main station and a VT show for the spin-off stations.

[nwtv2003]

I don’t listen to Absolute as much as I used to, but if you listened through their app or signed in their app via Alexa you also got extra songs instead of some if not all of the adverts, along with localised advertising. This did mean you were often a little behind the live feed on DAB or signed out mode, but it’s a good idea and seemed to work well. I think this feature is now more exclusive to the premium version of the app.

[bbctvtechop]

I don’t listen to Absolute as much as I used to, but if you listened through their app or signed in their app via Alexa you also got extra songs instead of some if not all of the adverts, along with localised advertising. This did mean you were often a little behind the live feed on DAB or signed out mode, but it’s a good idea and seemed to work well. I think this feature is now more exclusive to the premium version of the app.

That's what I'm trying to understand. Certainly when I've flicked between 90s and 00s during drive time, admittedly online via Sonos, the presenters appear (with the same content) at different times, sometimes even a minute or two difference. You're saying that if you're on premium, you also get "behind" the love show due to the no ads, more songs feature. So surely this cannot be "live live" - maybe (very) short turnaround voice tracking, but not live?

(The reason I was convinced it was not live is that twice I have heard the exact same presenter link on the same station, once on the same day (a few songs apart), and once at the same time 24 hours apart! Although these were both during Covid so the system may have changed for that period)

[London Lite]

It'd probably be best to compare the stations using DAB which only have a short delay compared to the online streams.

From my ears, listening on Absolute 80s, it sounds live on Mon-Thurs and clearly VT on Friday.

The reason why I think it's live is because they fade up the mics 10-15 seconds before the tracks end on the 9 stations and talk through it. They don't on Fridays.

[Stooky Bill]

I disagree. I can certainly see less mainstream channels closing but having live, linear channels you can just switch on will always have a place IMO. There is something in a shared experience you get with live TV/radio that isn't replicated with streaming services.

Yes and January 2024 so far has been proof that linear 'appointment to view' TV is still a thing.

There'll always be a need for something like ITV1 or BBC1 with curated and live content. Of course that might well be viewable via iPlayer rather than an aerial, but that's just a different delivery method.

This is being realised by the streamers and big media giants - Netflix and Amazon are getting into live content. Others are investing in FAST services.

Give it a few years and they'll come up with a brand new concept - why not combine our live content with our other content and delivery in in a linear stream. Everyone will be wowing at the brilliance of such a great idea... then realise it's what's been around since the 1930s

[Spencer]

Yes and January 2024 so far has been proof that linear 'appointment to view' TV is still a thing.

There'll always be a need for something like ITV1 or BBC1 with curated and live content. Of course that might well be viewable via iPlayer rather than an aerial, but that's just a different delivery method.

This is being realised by the streamers and big media giants - Netflix and Amazon are getting into live content. Others are investing in FAST services.

Give it a few years and they'll come up with a brand new concept - why not combine our live content with our other content and delivery in in a linear stream. Everyone will be wowing at the brilliance of such a great idea... then realise it's what's been around since the 1930s

I actually really like the idea of a linear Netflix (or other streamers’) channel. I could see the benefits in terms of providing a way for subscribers to discover their shows.

[thomalex]

I actually really like the idea of a linear Netflix (or other streamers’) channel. I could see the benefits in terms of providing a way for subscribers to discover their shows.

100%. I discover loads of programmes I would never have chosen just by chancing upon them while they're live. It's also reassuring to turn the TV on and something is on, not faced with a grid and silence like you are with streaming services. Linear certainly has a place.

In fact if I were the BBC I'd make the most use of their asset and put the linear channels playing live right at the top of the page when you first launch iPlayer.