[comradio-l] Digital switchover needs greater clarity

Mon Mar 29 12:14:50 BST 2010

Hasn't Jacqui recently reminded us all that Ofcom has said publicly that there are no plans at all for the cessation of FM broadcasting in the UK?

So what is all this about?

Yet more uninformed media hype?

Ian Hickling

Partner

transplan UK

> From: cma-l at commedia.org.uk
> Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2010 11:27:29 +0100
> To: cma-l at commedia.org.uk; comradio-l at commedia.org.uk
> Subject: [cma-l] Digital switchover needs greater clarity, say Lords - The Guardian 29/03/10
> 
> The government needs to put in place an FM radio scrappage scheme and
> a fund to help poorer people switch to digital radio or face a public
> backlash over its plans for the national switchover in 2015, according
> to an influential committee of peers.
> 
> The Lords communications committee said there was "public confusion
> and industry uncertainty" over the switchover. Consumers are still
> buying analogue radios owing to the lack of public information about
> the government's plans for digital radio. Car manufacturers are still
> fitting vehicles with FM radios despite the fact that in a few years'
> time they will only be able to receive local and community radio.
> 
> "We recommend an early and extensive information campaign to publicise
> the government's digital radio policy, its rationale and its
> implications for listeners," says the report on the digital switchover
> of radio and TV, published today.
> 
> The government's plans for the digital switchover of radio are working
> their way through parliament as part of the digital economy bill,
> which looks likely to become law in the pre-election wash-up.
> 
> The committee reckons there will be as many as 100m radios that are no
> longer required once digital switchover has occurred – though many
> people may decide to hold onto their old radios to listen to the local
> and community FM stations that will spring up once the national
> stations have moved to digital.
> 
> The committee warned that many consumers face having to buy a new
> radio and are likely to be very annoyed when told they will have to
> dump a perfectly serviceable FM set.
> 
> "First, the government must ensure that advice goes to retailers and
> the public that when purchasing radios, consumers should purchase sets
> that include a digital tuner. This will prevent the problem getting
> worse," the report stressed. "Second, the government should encourage
> the industry to devise a sensible scrappage scheme, recognising that
> the industry, manufacturers and retailers, will benefit heavily from
> the new sales generated by digital switchover."
> 
> The committee wants poorer radio listeners to be given financial
> assistance to help them get new digital sets with funding from the
> scheme from general taxation rather than the BBC licence fee, which
> has been used to fund a similar help scheme for digital TV. "Virtually
> all the witnesses who gave evidence to the Committee spoke of the need
> for greater clarity of policy in digital radio switchover," said the
> committee's chairman Lord Fowler.
> 
> "In particular the public are not being told what radio switchover
> will mean for them. Millions of FM/analogue radios will become largely
> redundant. Millions of car owners will have to fit converters to
> receive a digital service. It is urgent that the government now settle
> policy and in addition step up their efforts to inform the public.
> There is a danger of a public backlash if this is not done."
> 
> Last year, about 90% of the UK population listened to radio every week
> with average listening running at 22 hours, according to regulator
> Ofcom. Almost two-thirds of listening takes place at home with 18% in
> cars – where the vast majority of listening is analogue and most of it
> is of FM stations.
> 
> Last year, 66% of all listening was analogue, 21% digital – half on
> DAB and half through PCs - and 13% unspecified. In the digital Britain
> report the government admitted that at current levels of take-up, only
> half the radio enjoying public are likely to be digital listener by
> 2013. Based on recent growth, however, the House of Lords thinks not
> even that figure will be reached.
> 
> The peers noted that so far the switchover to digital TV "is running
> to time" – though only one major urban area has so far been switched.
> 
> The report was welcomed by Scott Taunton, managing director of UTV
> Media which runs 13 local radio stations, as well as talkSPORT. "The
> peers have identified the very serious ongoing obstacles to digital
> radio switchover in the UK.
> 
> "Next week, the government plans to force through legislation that
> would set the switchover in motion as early as 2015. However, today's
> report shows that the consumer case for switchover has still not been
> made and that the plans could have a significant adverse impact on
> local radio stations."
> 
> "Before passing the Digital Economy Bill, it is crucial that the
> government acts to ensure that digital radio switchover will not occur
> unless it is driven by the listener, and that local commercial radio
> stations remaining on FM will not be left to wither on the vine."
> 
> Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/29/digital-radio-switchover-scrappage
> 
> \\
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