Vaizey: 'FM radio will be saved'

Culture minister Ed Vaizey has confirmed that the FM signal will not be switched off in the UK after the digital radio switchover.

In his speech yesterday at the Intellect Consumer Electronics Conference, Vaizey also said that 2015 is the target that the government will "aspire to" for the switchover.

However, he stopped short of giving a "cast iron commitment" until more work has been done on building the UK's digital radio infrastructure.

Vaizey did say, though, that after the major national and regional stations have made the switch to digital-only platforms, the remaining FM signal would be used for ultra-local radio services.

"We will not switch over until the vast majority of listeners have voluntarily adopted digital radio over analogue. We will not switch over to digital until digital coverage matches FM," he said.

"And we will not switch off FM, FM will remain a platform for small local and community radio for as long as these services want it.

"Nevertheless, it is essential that we maintain the momentum towards digital, and that we start to really pick up the pace and make some real progress.

"That means a digital radio switchover in 2015 remains a target we aspire to, but for which a lot more work needs to be done before we can make it a cast-iron commitment."

The minister said that it is important for consumers in Britain to be able to access a new multi-channel world of digital radio services.

"Most importantly of all, consumers in the UK should not be limited, in effect, to eight national radio stations across FM and AM," he said.

"If I were to suggest today that TV viewers should go back to five main channels, there would be outrage. I hope in a few years time, when we approach switchover, radio listeners will see the benefits of multi-channel national radio in exactly the same way that television viewers have seen such benefits."

Also yesterday, the BBC's director of audio & music Tim Davie unveiled the corporation's plan to boost digital radio, including new transmitters and the rebranding of Radio 7 as Radio 4 Extra.

Vaizey said that the BBC is "central" to preparations for the digital switch as it has more than 50% of all radio listening.

He suggested that a "glimpse" of the support for digital radio was recently shown in the reaction to the proposed closure of BBC 6 Music, which was saved by the BBC Trust.

"The furore and subsequent saving of 6 Music shows that the BBC is already building a fantastic portfolio of digital radio content, which has already established a passionate following, myself included," said Vaizey.

"So we need more 6 Musics. And not just from the BBC but also from the commercial sector. But the BBC must not simply provide great digital content. It must also lead the way in the promotion of digital, across all its platforms, as a medium through which to access all radio."