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MUMBAI:
In a first of its kind joint venture, BBC will join forces
with commercial radio operators like GMG, Global Radio and
Bauer Media as well as RadioCentre to form a new Radio Council
to promote digital radio.
The Council will develop initiatives between the BBC and the
private sector to try to fuel uptake of digital which currently
accounts for 18.3 per cent of listening. The first project
the group will work on will be the development of an online
radio player similar to the BBC iPlayer which will stream
all live radio stations in the country via the same online
platform.
A
common standard, known as 'Radio Plus,' that will allow listeners
to record shows in a similar manner to Sky Plus, will also
be developed.
A big challenge
for the Radio Council will be to increase listening to digital audio broadcasting
(DAB). Less than 30 per cent of adults supposedly own a DAB set but the medium
accounts for only 11.4 per cent of listening and commercial operators have been
seen struggling to get returns.
The
Council would liaise with Communications Minister Lord Carter
of Barnes to appoint a chief executive for the Digital Radio
Delivery Group promised in his interim Digital Britain report
to promote DAB and work towards analogue switch-off.
Commenting on the coming together of rival forces,the first
chaiman of the Council Tim Davie said, "The partnership
between the BBC and Commercial Radio is crucial to the future
of the medium. Radio is unique and much-loved, but the media
environment is changing and we have to work together to make
sure it remains as popular and relevant as ever."
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