BBC could launch online player for UK radio stations

The BBC could launch an online radio player open to all broadcast radio providers within the year.

According to reports, under the preliminary proposals – which would have to be approved by the BBC Trust – commercial stations such as Capital Radio or Heart FM would available on one hub, similar to the BBC’s iPlayer.

Tim Davie, the BBC’s head of audio and music, told the Guardian that a service working across digital devices and offering the sort of pre-booking services found on Sky Plus would be a long-term goal.

He said: “Why shouldn’t we be able to live pause, put it on hard drive, grab stuff from the past seven days and pre-book on radio as well as TV.”

Reports also suggest that the RadioCentre, the trade body for commercial radio stations, has been involved in the BBC proposal.

Last week, the BBC Trust approved a £30.7 million increase in the BBC’s online budget over the next three years (see BBC Trust approves £30.7m increase in corporation’s online budget).

However, the increase was almost 42% under the £52.7 million originally requested by the corporation.

The weekly reach of radio listening via the internet has remained pretty static over the past year according to RAJAR figures, with the latest data showing it at 6% of all digital listening (see DAB enjoys rise in listening hours).