I’m always happy to help students with their questions, as long as they don’t mind me printing their answers here. And so it is that a third year student, studying music at the University of Derby, contacts me with his questions – and my responses are here.

What are the main benefits of the digital switchover effecting the larger (BBC) radio stations?

For the larger broadcasters, whether BBC or commercial, the benefits of digital switchover will result in the audience having more choice of stations, finding it easier to tune in (since you tune into digital radio by name, not a frequency), and additional information on the screen of a digital radio.

For the BBC, this means that there’ll be radio which appeals to more licence-fee payers: BBC Asian Network and BBC 1Xtra, particularly, means that the BBC can cater for those audiences which it’s been unable to do before, and therefore offer better value for the licence fee.

For commercial radio, the digital switchover means a more even playing-field with the BBC (which currently has most of the frequencies available to the national radio spectrum), and a chance to launch new radio stations which have less regulation on their format.

For services on AM, an upgrade to Digital also means a significant increase in audio sound quality.

What are the main disadvantages of the digital switchover effecting the larger radio stations?

The digital switchover will go ahead two years after 50% of listening to radio is done on a digital platform. It’s therefore highly likely that the switchoff will mean that many people no longer get their favourite radio stations.

The additional choice on digital radio will result in fragmentation of audiences, and individual stations will get less audience. It’s important for commercial broadcasters, particularly, to add additional choice to digital radio to enable retention of their network reach.

What effect will the digital switchover have on the future of the smaller local commercial radio stations?

Some smaller local radio stations (whether commercial or community) will be unable to get onto DAB Digital Radio, either for reasons of capacity or cost. These will continue on FM, as I understand it. Given that the FM waveband will no longer have the big radio stations on it, this is a massive opportunity for these smaller stations, since they will be handed considerable new audience.

What technological advances have had to take place within the radio broadcast stations to coincide with the digital switchover? What effect have the recent technological developments had on the employment growth of the industry?

None particularly; broadcasters have been making digital radio services available for a number of years. Supporting the information appearing on a digital radio screen (like now-playing information, for example) has required some work for broadcast software manufacturers; and to establish the digital radio stations in the first place required more positions within the broadcast industry.

Why do you think the digital switchover is taking increasingly longer to secure a precise date to ensure it is the only form of radio consumption?

Unlike television, people generally don’t flick around the radio dial. As a result, there is little incentive to switch to digital if listeners feel they are simply going to continue to enjoy their same radio station with almost identical functionality (a volume knob and a speaker). It could be argued that the radio industry has not innovated enough on digital radio functionality to make it a clear upgrade for consumers.

Listeners to radio stations on AM claim that they are happy with the audio quality of the platform, and therefore see little reason to upgrade.

And typically, radio comes free with another device; a hifi, a music player, or a car; actual purchases of radio sets is mostly driven by a need to replace a broken receiver – yet with the absence of any moving parts, radio sets are generally very reliable, lasting many decades of use.

With the larger radio stations dominating the podcast chart (particularly on iTunes) will this see the demise of the smaller radio stations?

Podcasts are responsible for a tiny amount of radio listening, and do not reflect the requirement, by most radio listeners, to enjoy their radio stations ‘live’.

With regards to the relationship between podcasts and the increasingly popular iTunes, available on any computer, iPod, iPhone, and now iPad. Will there be a need for commercial radio at all?

Radio – whether the BBC or commercial – is free and portable; it requires a receiver costing only a few pennies to add to most consumer electronics. Most people consume radio by literally turning on the ‘power’ button, listening for a while, and switching it off later.

While interactive services (podcasts, last.fm, Spotify) will have a place, for most people who require a simple, easy form of free entertainment, radio will continue to be popular for many decades to come.

It is said that commercial radio is “challenged not dead” due to the digital switch and increasing use of Internet radio.
i) What recent issues have led to the fall in growth and popularity?
ii) What can it do to help keep up its popularity?

The people who are saying that are wrong.
- Internet radio accounts for a tiny percentage (less than 3%) of all radio listening in the UK. It isn’t taking significant audience away from broadcast radio.
- Digital switchover has been more beneficial for commercial radio than the BBC, with significantly higher audiences choosing digital from commercial radio stations.
- Commercial radio, while suffering over the last five years due to a global advertising slowdown that first started in 2002, still commands a significant market share; and has only fallen from 46% to 42% in ten years against a strong BBC, while overall radio listening hasn’t dropped at all. (RAJAR Q4 1999 / Q4 2009).

While both BBC and commercial radio need to ensure radio remains relevant to the new generation, the only threat that commercial radio faces is advertising agencies thinking that the medium is ‘untrendy’. It’s just as popular as ever.

What are the new HD radio stations? How will this effect the employment state of the industry? And its digital success?

HD is a technology enabling digital radio in the US. It’s irrelevant for the UK, not least because the technology used is incompatible with frequency use in Europe.

Do you agree with my answers? Am I sounding too optimistic, or too pessimistic? Have your say in the comments beneath.

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