As talk of digital switchover of radio increases, a new organisational body has been announced to oversee the process – Digital Radio UK.
Digital switchover for TV is currently underway and expected to be complete by 2012, but the same process for radio will take a little longer, with 2015 the latest estimate for completion.
The new group will work across the industry, including the BBC and commercial radio, as well as interested parties such as radio manufacturers, multiplex operator Arqiva and the car industry.
The BBC’s director of audio and music, Tim Davie, said: “The launch of Digital Radio UK is a clear indication that the whole radio industry is committed to securing a digital future for radio. By working together, we can deliver solutions that significantly increase digital listening and help to make switchover a reality.”
Despite Digital Britain’s setting of 2015 as the date when the analogue signal will be switched off, to do so, more than 50 per cent of UK radio listening will have to be digital by 2013. The latest figures show that digital listening currently stands at just 21.1 per cent.