The Government has announced a review of the UK’s radio industry which will consider whether there should be a managed transition away from FM in the 2030s.
Nearly 75% of UK radio listening now happens on digital or online platforms, such as DAB digital radio, in apps and via smart speakers.
The Government says it “will work with key partners, including the BBC and commercial radio, to examine changes in listener behaviour and audio markets in recent years, and make recommendations on the future distribution of radio services.”
The review comes amid commentary on the future of digital television broadcasting in the UK. A recent study backed by Sky suggested that “Britain can switch off terrestrial TV in the 2030s” with households switching to internet-delivered TV. The pay-TV provider no longer offers Sky Q, its satellite subscription service, to purchase online and directs new customers towards its streaming options.
The potential impact of a “decision on the future of Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) on radio distribution” will form part of the review. Many transmitter masts carry both digital television and FM and DAB radio services.
Media Minister Ian Murray said:
“In the midst of the media revolution, radio remains a powerful and popular medium that holds a special place in people’s lives. It provides company for the isolated, entertainment to millions of people on their daily commute, and helps circulate vital news and information across the country.
“However, we also know that listening habits are changing as even more people access radio via digital and online platforms, whether at home or in the car. The use of AI as a tool is only going to keep increasing in the coming years and this will impact how radio is made and consumed.”
A previous Radio and Audio Review in 2021 concluded that FM should continue until at least 2030, but recommended that in 2026 government and industry revisit a potential analogue switch-off.
The Radio Review will conclude this autumn with a report to the Government, and a Steering Board for the review will be confirmed in due course.
Ofcom launches consultation on radio licensing priorities
On the day before the Government announced its review, media regulator Ofcom launched a consultation on its future radio licensing priorities.
As the programme to advertise and award small-scale DAB licenses nears completion, the regulator says it is “consulting on new licensing priorities for analogue and digital radio for 2026 and beyond”.
In considering how best to make use of its resources, and the current market context and changes in listening habits, Ofcom is proposing to revise its licensing priorities for analogue and digital radio. It would focus on providing “some licensing opportunities for new small-scale DAB multiplexes and FM community radio licenses”, and considering requests to extend or improve coverage for existing ones.
The regulator would also continue its support for “other types of licensing where there are few legal or resource constraints”.
Ofcom would not intend to undertake new licensing “where there is a diminishing audience, where services are likely to be unsustainable and/or there is limited or no spectrum available”. In particular the consultation document mentions that it is unable to licence any new national FM or DAB services and “propose that making further national AM licences available should not be a priority”.
Responses to the consultation, the full details for which are online, must be submitted no later than 5pm 8 April 2026.