UKRD chief calls for radio switchover date to be scrapped

UKRD’s chief executive William Rogers has called for Ed Vaizey to scrap the 2015 digital switchover target following “hugely disappointing” DAB listening figures in last week’s RAJAR release.

The independent radio network’s chief wants the broadcast minister to “look at the reality of this situation and allow the development of digital listener to happen in line with listeners’ desires and requirements rather than political edict”.

Rogers said the figures show “less than 16% listening to DAB” after eleven years, making the government’s target switchover date “more incredible by the month”, according to Brand Republic.

“The pushing, prodding and soon to be, bullying of the public by government, and some in the radio sector who should know better, to adopt the single, future digital platform of DAB, has damaged radio and deprived the sector of much needed investment in programming and marketing over the last eleven years,” Rogers added.

Last week’s RAJAR release shows that digital listening across all platforms including the internet, digital televisions and smartphones, has reached 25% – a quarter of all radio listening.

“This 25% figure is a magic one: it’s the one the industry is watching,” said James Cridland, managing director of Media UK and a radio futurologist.

“ If this figure has risen to 50% by 2013, the government will press for digital switchover to happen in 2015: the net effect being that all the large radio stations will stop broadcasting on FM. Putting the rights and wrongs of a government-mandated switchover aside, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that the industry will hit this ambitious 50% figure.”

Once the 50% target (and a second one for coverage) has been reached, there will be a two-year countdown process to switchover.