Matthew Bannister, former director of radio at the BBC, has dismissed digital radio as a costly mistake in an article in today’s Times.
This week the commercial digital radio group Digital One announced the launch of its latest phase of transmitter roll-outs, and implied that the BBC was not pulling its weight in trying to make the platform a success (see Phase Three For Digital One).
Bannister suggests, however, that the problem lies not with the amount of investment in transmitters and programming, but with the prohibitive cost of digital radio sets, of which only 40,000 are in circulation so far.
His argument goes that the UK public are too used to radio being free, even down to receivers, which come free in cars and as part of hi-fis. Persuading people to replace the average 5 sets per household would be very hard. He also questions whether the public are even looking for the increased choice and quality offered by digital: “When did you last meet a listener bemoaning, as television viewers do, that there was ‘nothing on’? Despite the expansion of radio services in this country, on average each of us uses only two a week.” he reasons.
When Bannister was at BBC Radio, he was responsible for promoting and developing digital radio. His change of faith is, unfortunately for the confidence of digital radio’s supporters, unequivocal: “Privately, the BBC and commercial radio are wringing their hands about the failure of digital to take off, but neither can afford to admit in public that a technology on which they have staked their futures may never become a consumer reality.”
Quentin Howard, chief executive of Digital One, said today that the article made “interesting reading” as “an opinion piece by a Times radio critic”. “We disagree with most of Matthew Bannisters opinions” he continued, “And are surprised that he’s changed his mind on so many issues so quickly. Tessa Jowell at the Radio Festival was very upbeat and positive about digital radio and I’d probably rate her opinion more highly than Matthew’s.”
The Times: 020 7782 5000 www.the-times.co.uk
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