Digital Radio in The United Kingdom

Digital Radio In The United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the roll-out of digital radio is proceeding since engineering test transmissions were started by the BBC in 1990 followed by a public launch in September 1995. The UK currently has the world's biggest digital radio network, with 103 transmitters, two national DAB ensembles and 48 local and regional DAB ensembles broadcasting over 250 commercial and 34 BBC radio stations across the UK. In the capital, London there are already more than 64 different digital stations available. In addition to DAB, radio stations are also broadcast on digital television platform as well as internet radio in the UK. Between April 2007 and April 2008 the BBC trialled Digital Radio Mondiale on mediumwave and shortwave frequencies. Digital radio ensemble operators and stations need a broadcasting licence from the UK's media regulator Ofcom to broadcast.

Digital radio in the United Kingdom is being promoted by radio stations and the broadcasting industry on the premise that it provides a wider choice of radio stations, is easier to use, and is resistant to the interference which other broadcast media are susceptible to. However, the price paid for the extra number of stations is that the audio quality on DAB is lower than on FM. Also some areas of the country are not presently covered by DAB; the BBC says that it may not provide coverage to the final 10% of the population, and may use Digital Radio Mondiale instead. In 2011, Ofcom published a consultation with the intent to push DAB coverage across the United Kingdom up to the same level as enjoyed by FM broadcasting in the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom Government intends to migrate the vast majority of AM and FM analogue services to digital between 2015 and 2019, subject to targets being met for coverage, listening figures for digital radio and agreements in relation to funding and other decisions related to switchover being made under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, broadcasters and ensemble operators.

In the UK, 29.5% of all radio listening hours in 2012 were through digital platforms, with DAB making up for the majority of digital radio listening (64.9%), and 41.7% of UK households claim to have access to a DAB radio set.