The problem with radio

One of the issues we’re likely to focus on in the Final Report is that of Digital Radio. In many ways, its the issue that joins together the infrastructure challenges we face as a nation with the content challenges.

In infrastructure, it’s a question of investment. DAB, a reasonably popular technology, is in a lot of people’s kitchens, but hasn’t become pervasive enough that analogue radio is starting to wither (not least because it is in every car). So we are running multiple networks and not investing enough as a nation to have a really robust digital platform.

In content, as usual the challenge is getting UK content that pays its way. As Richard Curtis’ last film (I haven’t seen it)reminded us, the problem with radio used to be that the BBC wasn’t very good at giving people what they wanted – so they turned to illegal, or at least grey market sources. Nowadays, the problem is that the BBC is so good at serving multiple audiences that the commercial sector finds it hard to compete.

Of course, out there on the web is the most amazing variety of music services, but also some fantastic speech content as well. Personally I would love to see every school pupil in the country subscribe to This American Life and Stuff You Should Know  (neither of which are UK based of course, but they are great). And according to the folks at the Guardian when we visited them recently, they are providing more speech content than just about anyone outside Broadcasting House.

So is there a case for broadcast Digital Radio? That’s something we will have to face up to when the report is published.