Ofcom Chief Outlines Plans For Future Of Digital Radio
Speaking at the Edinburgh Radio Festival, Ofcom chief executive, Stephen Carter, outlined the media regulator’s plans to propel radio into the digital age, embracing new technologies and ways in which the medium can increase in popularity and reach new audiences.
Carter announced plans to make three new blocks of spectrum available for new local multiplexes, enabling every region in the UK to have at least one digital multiplex. He said that Ofcom is currently consulting over the possibility of two national multiplexes, stating that a decision would be made over this summer.
The increasing demand for innovative data services on DAB digital radio has caused Ofcom to consider changing the rules on the availability of spectrum to mobile content providers.
Carter said: “The current ceiling in data services on DAB multiplexes may well be artificially low, and if the demand takes off we are ready to recommend raising it to 30% or over.”
In addition to this, Carter announced Ofcom’s plans to widen the L-Band spectrum next year, increasing it to include 16 blocks of DAB compatible spectrum, allowing for “more space for innovation and convergence.”
Carter also discussed Ofcom’s introduction of community radio, which opened new doors in the radio landscape and provided services for under-served social sectors.
Audiences’ actions and needs were underlined as central to the furthering of the radio industry, with Carter advocating the need for radio stations to identify what they are “saying” and what they are “doing”.
In terms of hours, after several years of steadily rising radio listening, this year was flat; with the biggest hit being taken by chart-led mainstream music stations, according to Carter. The gradual decline in chart music listening over the past five years has accelerated, with 40% listening at the start of the decade, to the current 30%.
The youth market was pinpointed as a point of concern for the radio industry, with Carter claiming that the sector had to think of new and innovative ways in which to capture this elusive audience.
According to Carter, new technologies are key to engaging young audiences. He said: “Two thirds of today’s young mobile users have their phones on and within easy reach for between 21 and 24 hours a day. I earnestly hope that radio, possibly using the mobile as a delivery medium, can capture at least some of that time.”
Commenting on the transition to digital-only radio broadcasting, Carter discussed concerns centring on smaller radio sets, and their switch to DAB, explaining that advances in technology could help solve this problem.
He said: “The fact that manufacturers are now talking seriously of a combined chip that offers both DAB and Digital Radio Mondiale standard, is good news. DRM is a complementary technology and combined DAB/DRM sets in volume production could well assist the universal adoption of digital radio.”
Ofcom are already working with Chris Smith’s Digital Radio Development Bureau’s task force, looking into possible routes to an all-digital future and considering the possibility of releasing short-wave or medium-wave spectrum to enable combined DAB/DRM chip radio sets.
Carter finished his speech by commenting on the shape of radio advertising, and in particular the BBC, claiming that the Corporation has helped to drive digital uptake.
The Ofcom chief executive raised concerns voiced by commercial radio broadcasters, that the BBC’s success “may be a double edged benefit.”
“A successful, high-investing BBC makes the life of commercial radio harder,” Carter said, “They have some gripes. Firstly, that BBC radio can change format at will, and cross-promotion.”
Both Ofcom and the BBC propose tighter regulations to deal with format change, while cross-promotion remains a contentious issue.
Carter suggested that, to combat cross-promotion, commercial radio “level up”. He explained: “Increasingly radio companies are part of multi-media commercial players. If commercial TV wants to promote commercial radio that is part of the same group then that too can be building public value and we will review the rules that we inherited to see whether there are unnecessary obstacles to reasonable cross promotion between television and radio in the commercial sector.”
Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk Radio Academy: 020 7255 2010 www.radioacademy.org