The BBC has scrapped its plan to turn off analogue FM radio broadcasts, thereby forcing millions of listeners to go digital.
Speaking to an industry conference in Vienna, Bob Shennan, the BBC Director of Radio and Music, will announce that the BBC is to retain FM radio broadcasts as part of a hybrid model. He will also urge broadcasters to work together to ensure the survival of radio, saying Government plans to turn off analogue signals could restrict listeners' choice.
A copy of Shennan's speech, seen by The Sunday Telegraph (subscription required), says: "We all once thought that DAB was the only digital future of radio, but audiences want choice.
"We now know DAB is important, but only part of the story, along with FM and the internet. We need to do more before we consider a switchover in the UK, and for that to be genuinely audience-led."
The Government initially wanted to reduce analogue radio services from 2015, but plans were curtailed due to the slow take up of digital radio.
Shennan will also argue that broadcasters should keep transmitting analogue signals to protect traditional strongholds of radio listening, such as in cars.
It might sound obvious, but we still get readers asking about whether a TV licence is needed to listen to BBC radio programmes. The answer is no.
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