Digital Radio UK is set to introduce an analogue scrappage scheme

The radio industry is set to introduce an analogue radio scrappage scheme in a bid to persuade people to take-up digital.

The scheme, which will work in a similar way to the government’s recent car scrappage scheme, will allow listeners to trade in their old analogue set in exchange for a 20% discount on a new digital set.

Radio executives hope this will encourage FM radio listeners to trade in their old sets and move to digital, ahead of the planned 2015 switchover.

A spokesperson for Digital Radio UK, the organisation that was set up to specifically manage the switchover, said the scrappage scheme is “something we want to do”.

It is understood that Digital Radio UK has already been in talks with a number of retailers and manufacturers to implement the scheme.

Currently, 21% of all radio listening is via digital, according to RAJAR’s Q3 2009 report.  However, the government has set a 50% digital listening target by 2013 to kick-start the switchover process.

A number of factors are expected to contribute to the success of digital take-up, including extending the UK’s DAB coverage (which stands at 90%), improving the quality of reception and sound, and replacing analogue radio sets.

There are thought to be around 100 million analogue radio sets in use in the UK, with an average of 4 sets per household, according to estimates from RAJAR.

However, with around 500,000 digital sets sold over the Christmas period alone (which takes the total number up to 10.5 million in the UK), the industry hopes listeners are coming around the idea of digital.

A Digital Radio UK spokesperson said: “Digital radio UK is working with the radio industry on a number of initiatives to drive digital radio take-up and encourage the responsible recycling of analogue sets. Future details will be available as the projects progress.”