Minister calls for ‘digital by default’ radios

A Government minister has called for new radios to be “digital by default” in anticipation of a potential digital radio switchover.

Matt Hancock MP, Minister of State for Digital, was speaking in a video interview at an industry conference yesterday.

Although a digital radio switchover has been mooted for some time, there is currently no fixed date for such a move. The minister confirmed that when 50% of all radio listening is digital the Government will consider whether to set a timetable. Digital listening currently stands at 48.7%.

Around 57% of UK adults say they own a DAB digital radio, but according to GfK data the majority of domestic radios currently sold are analogue-only.

Citing the nine out of ten new cars which come with digital radio as standard, Mr Hancock said it would be “unambiguously a good move to see that replicated across different areas of radio production.” He also cautioned that “we’ve got to bring people with us on switchover… so that everybody has the chance to move onto the new technology.”

Speaking at the conference Katrina Mills, Audio and Connected Home Senior Buyer at John Lewis, said the department store now offers just one analogue-only radio.

“We know that our customers are tech-savvy and early adopters of all technological innovations. This being the case, it makes sense for us to ensure we are exclusively presenting them with radios which are digitally enabled and begin to phase out the sale of analogue-only portable radios,” said Katrina Mills.

The conference also heard how Sonos speakers, devices like Amazon’s Alexa and hybrid in-car radio are being used to listen to digital radio.

“It’s brilliant that radio continues to go from strength to strength and a large part of that is due to how it has kept moving technologically,” said Matt Hancock MP.

“The transition to digital is essential for radio’s future and we strongly encourage all manufacturers to ensure they are delivering digitally-enabled product to their customers.”