What is the Digital Radio Action Plan?
Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, affirmed the coalition Government’s commitment to a digital future for radio on 8 July 2010, and announced the launch of the Digital Radio Action Plan on the same day. The Government-Industry Digital Radio Action Plan sets detailed tasks and a timetable for: agreeing a coverage plan for building DAB coverage to match FM; developing a strategic marketing and communications plan; developing a digital radio kitemark scheme; developing a program of activity on cars and vehicles; assessing the necessity of a help scheme. The Digital Economy Act 2010 gives the Secretary of State the flexibility to set a date for a radio switchover. The Action Plan re-states the consumer-led criteria to be met before any decision on switchover can be made (as outlined by the previous government), namely that: 50% of listening is to digital services; that national DAB coverage is comparable to FM, local DAB reaches 90% of the population a
