http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/nov/11/abandon-digital-radio-switchover-stationsJohn Plunkett
theguardian.com, Monday 11 November 2013 03.00 EST
A group of broadcasters has called on the government to abandon plans for digital radio switchover, claiming the move would jeopardise local radio and cost households "several hundred pounds" each.
The consortium representing 80 stations across the UK listened to by 6 million people a week issued a joint statement on Monday less than six weeks before ministers are due to confirm its policy on the matter.
The group said the switchover posed a serious risk of listeners losing access to radio because most households only have an analogue set. It estimates that there are about 100m analogue sets still in use in UK homes.
The switchover – in which national, regional and large local stations disappear from AM and FM – would hamper smaller local stations and force homes listening on analogue to spend hundreds of pounds on new digital receivers, the statement says.
The group is made up of 13 commercial companies including UTV-owned national sports station TalkSport and Celador Radio run by Paul Smith, the man behind ITV's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?.
Scott Taunton, managing director of UTV Media (GB), said: "We think the concept of migrating stations from AM and FM [to digital] is flawed. There is no consumer demand for this and unlike digital TV switchover there is no digital dividend for the taxpayer. The bulk of people are quite happy with the radio services they already have.
"We're not saying digital radio is flawed but it's like saying mobile phones are so prevalent we can switch off all the landlines. This hasn't been thought through and we shouldn't be rushed into a decision."
The initial target date of 2015 for the switchover has already been pushed back, after digital radio take-up was slower than expected. The commercial radio trade body, the Radio Centre, has suggested 2018, while others have said 2020 is a more realistic target for the switchover.
Ed Vaizey, the minister for culture, communications and creative industries, is due to clarify the government's switchover plans on 16 December.
Digital Radio UK, the body tasked with overseeing the switchover, said most radio groups, representing the vast majority of listeners, continued to support an "in-principle decision on radio switchover".
A spokesman said: "We believe that the future of local radio is secure and that the fact that FM will be sustained for ultra local commercial stations and community stations is good news for listeners and local radio."
But there remains uncertainty about how the multimillion pound nationwide network of digital radio transmitters will be funded. Digital audio broadcasting (DAB) radio currently falls a long way short of the coverage provided by analogue radio.
A memorandum of understanding announced last year outlined an agreement in principle between the BBC, commercial radio and the government on how DAB rollout would be funded. That agreement,was described by one source as "dead in the water".
A spokesman for Global Radio, the biggest commercial radio group which includes Classic FM, Capital and Heart, said coverage and funding issues had to be addressed.
"We hope the ongoing debate will be less about switchover - which, in any case, will not happen until listeners are ready – and more about the necessity for continuing investment in Britain's digital infrastructure," said a spokesman.
Sales of digital radios have stalled at just under 2m over the past four years, with a recent report by the media regulator Ofcom suggesting more than half of homes without a DAB set have no intention of buying one in the next 12 months.
A spokesman for Bauer Radio, which includes Kiss, Magic, as well as a number of national digital-only stations, said: "A positive decision from government on digital radio will provide the radio industry and all stations, national and local, with a certain and exciting future at the heart of the UK's digital economy. We believe that with the right structure, investment and talent, local radio will thrive following switchover."
The 13-strong group of commercial stations behind Monday's statement also includes UKRD, CN Radio, Anglian Radio, Quidem, Radio Jackie, and Brighton's Juice 107.2.
Celador chairman Paul Smith said: "We think there's no need for the government to be committed to switchover. The two platforms have sat together for many years. We are not saying it's bad technology but what's the point of excluding listeners from the services they are comfortable with?"
Digital TV switchover was completed in the UK in 2012 after a relatively trouble-free five-year plan was rolled out across the country. Digital radio switchover has proved more problematic, with the advantages of the new technology less clearcut to the consumer.
A total of 35.6% of all radio listening was on digital platforms in the third quarter of this year, the lion's share on DAB radio.
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