BBC to keep FM radio for “foreseeable future”

"We need to do more in the UK before we consider a switchover and for that to be genuinely led by the audience," said Shennan. "We are fully committed to digital and we believe we should review the landscape again in a few years' time."

He continued to say he believes audiences are best served by a “mixed economy” of FM and DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) radio - not least as many cars on the road aren’t fitted with DAB radios, and DAB coverage can still be unreliable in some areas. The cost of standalone digital radios has decreased in recent years, however.

The FM switch off began in Norway last December, and while analogue radio was originally due to be shut down in the UK in 2015, the Government scrapped its plans after it emerged that not enough listeners had made the switch to DAB. It announced it would only consider a full switchover when 50 per cent of people consumed radio digitally and 90 per cent of the population was covered. With digital listeners now making up almost 50 per cent of consumers, those plans are due to be reviewed later this spring.

Sky and BT to share TV channels from “early 2019”

Becky is a hi-fi, AV and technology journalist, formerly the Managing Editor at What Hi-Fi? and Editor of Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica magazines. With over twelve years of journalism experience in the hi-fi industry, she has reviewed all manner of audio gear, from budget amplifiers to high-end speakers, and particularly specialises in headphones and head-fi devices.

In her spare time, Becky can often be found running, watching Liverpool FC and horror movies, and hunting for gluten-free cake.