A glimpse of digital radio’s future in the UK was seen today with the publication of the UK governments Digital Radio Working Group (DRWG) interim report.

The DRWG comprises of key industry members including BBC and commercial broadcasters, radio manufacturers, car companies and relevant government departments. Their group was formed to find out what conditions were needed for digital to become the dominant radio medium, what the barriers are to growth and how to overcome them.

Their main recommendations are

• DAB is the most appropriate replacement for analogue
• National and regional stations move exclusively to DAB
• IP technology should be a key component
• FM should continue to be used primarily for local and community radio
• Government should set a timetable for migration to digital
• DRWG recommend criteria is completed within five years

Read the full report at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport website here.

On the topic of peering into the future, the picture above is a scan from a 1979 publication showing how our homes would change during the 80’s and 90’s. Enjoy an amusing read by looking at the full sized scan. Click here.

What if no-one thought outside-of-the-box when it came to the internet ?

We’d be left with just text and hyper-links as Tim Berners-Lee designed it. There’d be no jpg pictures, no video, no social networking, no music.  It would just do as it was meant to - connect computers. Boring. Thank God porn came along and thought of clever ways to get their content online to the benefit of us all.

Today, have you considered this scenario is happening with DAB ? Despite the fact DAB can transmit any kind of data, after all it’s just one’s and zero’s like the internet, DAB is just doing what it was meant to do … broadcast radio. Boring.  I bet it wouldn’t be if porn was big on radio!

Sorry to hear UBC have shut-down their mobile phone music download service Cliq

I believe Simon, Pascal and the guys at UBC have the right idea but perhaps they’re pursuing it on the wrong platform. Yes mobile phones are ubiquitous but they are essentially communication devices. You’ll use your phone to take some pictures or listen to some music but it’s dominant use is to communicate with phone calls and text.

RAJAR shows the amount of people who have ever listened to radio on a mobile phone is just over 10%. They don’t break out how many people have done so in the past week. They don’t include mobile phone usage in digital listening weekly reach. They probably don’t like having to compute really small numbers!

Radio on the other hand is specifically a media consumption device.  Better yet, it’s an audio media consumption device. If we could work a way of people consuming even more audio using their radio, be that buying music or otherwise, the relevancy of the device and the data transmission capabilities of DAB are a perfect marriage.

Think about it.

After the debacle of GCap “pulling out” of DAB there has been lots of great news coming from the UK in the past few weeks.

The biggest news concerns Planet Rock, one of the most successful stations on DAB, and a surprise casualty of GCap’s corporate survival. Since GCap pulled the plug, Queen guitarist Brian May tried to purchase the station but was beaten to it by entrepreneur Malcolm Bluemel. Nothing like a little healthy competition in a sale! Bottom line is Planet Rock lives on with the backing of a private entity who will give it the attention it deserves to grow rather than it being just another “add-on” in a huge corporation. More importantly, to the best of my knowledge, the station is the first DAB exclusive brand to change hands proving there is worth in these new digital times. An important point for DAB broadcasters and investors.

The next piece of good news is Bauer have decided to put their Q Radio station onto DAB in London. This will be the first DAB outlet for the station which broadcasts on cable, satellite and Freeview. Bauer are investing in Q by adding live dj’s,  regular features and a big launch headlined by R.E.M.  Why such investment?  Perhaps it’s due to success at another Bauer station Heat where sponsorships are selling nicely and the station is making money.

Like busses, good news comes in three’s! The third piece of good news is the launch of a brand new digital station - N.M.E Radio. It will be launched by Ricky Gervais and crew on June 24th. Initially on cable, satellite and online, what’s the bet they’ll also be on DAB soon ?

After a bad start to the year these big sales, extra investments and new entrants are showing DAB to be the phoenix rising from the ashes. Best yet, things are only beginning to pick up as we anticipate what Channel 4 radio will offer with their DAB launch later in the year.

PS - Did I mention Virgin Radio was sold to Times Group of India and Absolute Radio for €67m ?!