U.K. Risks Public ‘Backlash’ of Digital Radio, Lawmakers Say

There’s “public confusion and industry uncertainty” over U.K. plans to switch to digital radio by 2015, the House of Lords’ Select Committee on Communications said Monday. A report said a move to digital TV seems to be on track, but the transition to digital radio is raising strong qualms, including about consumer and environmental matters. If these aren’t dealt with, it said, “there is a danger of public backlash."

Britain’s switch to DTV seems, about one-fifth of the way through, to be running smoothly, the committee said. The main problem is that the number of people who would make use of an assistance program paid from the BBC license fee was vastly overestimated, lawmakers said.

The benefits of the transition to DTV were “well accepted and understood,” but the case for change to digital radio isn’t as compelling, the report said. People are happy with current FM systems and programming. Consumers continue to buy analog radios although they may be outdated in a few years, because retailers aren’t giving them guidance. Car makers are still installing analog radios, and radio broadcasters are being forced to pay for dual transmission in analog and digital, which is especially difficult for commercial operators who are already hard-pressed, it said.

The change to digital radio isn’t to take place until 50 percent of radio listening is to digital sources, the coverage of national digital audio broadcasting is comparable to that of FM and large local digital audio broadcasting coverage reaches 90 percent of the population and all major roads, the report said. The government wants those conditions met by 2013 to pave the way for a digital radio upgrade before 2016. Some analog channels will remain afterward, it said.

But several important policy points are unresolved, lawmakers said. No plans have been developed for building out and paying for the shift to digital by the BBC and commercial national radio stations. No one knows what the government intends to do about AM and FM stations. A major question is what will happen to car radios, the panel said. Of the 30 million vehicles on the road, less than 1 percent are equipped to receive DAB, and car manufacturers said they need until 2013 to incorporate them, according to the report.

New vehicles are only part of the problem, the report said. By 2015, about 20 million may have to be converted -- at the owners’ expense -- to allow continued use of analog radios, it said. Retrofitting digital radios is unworkable because electronic systems are increasingly integrated, the report said. Although technology and products are available for in-car digital listening, the industry is waiting for additional certainty about the switch before converting, risking consumer disinterest and reducing the chances for meeting the upgrade-coverage yardstick, it said. The report asked the government and manufacturers for public guidance on in-car digital listening, including advice about the conversion kits that will be available during the switchover.

Radio switchover also raises environmental concerns, the report said. Tens of millions of analog radios could be thrown away, it said. Industry is considering a system like one for automobiles in which consumers receive discounts on the purchase of replacement radios, it said. The government must ensure that buyers are advised to buy sets that include digital tuners, that a program for scrapping old radios is in place, and that consumers are told as soon as possible how rules for waste electrical and electronic equipment will work for the disposal of analog radios, lawmakers said.

The committee opposed changing the digital radio standard to DAB+ before switchover. It asked government officials to make clear to the public that DAB will remain the standard for the upgrade but to set a date by which all new digital radios must have the multistandard chip, allowing the U.K. to shift to a different standard later on.

Members also called for an early and extensive public information campaign about the reasons for the digital radio policy and what it means to listeners. The government, electronics manufacturers, retailers and the car industry should agree on advice to consumers about buying digital radio equipment, they said. There should be a “kitemarking” set-up that includes information on power consumption, and an assistance program paid for from general taxes, they said.

"We remain sceptical about the natural attractions of digital radios and are not convinced that listener and consumer behaviour will follow the same path as digital television,” the committee said. Still, it recommended that 2015 remain the target date. Nearly all those who offered their views said there’s a need for greater policy clarity, said Chairman Norman Fowler. “There is a danger of public backlash if this is not done."

Digital Radio UK, the company charged with leading the transition, praised the report’s findings that progress toward digital radio should continue, that DAB is the appropriate technology, and that 2015 is the right target date. Lawmakers stressed that “public communication is essential,” the company said.