Another radio group has spoken out against the Radio Amnesty scrappage scheme, after RadioToday.co.uk published a story about UKRD not backing the campaign.
Niocom, which owns Central Radio and Dune 107.9, says the Government has made a complete hash of the migration strategy.
The unfolding story, which will no doubt cause much debate over the coming weeks and months, is currently running on stations owned by the larger radio groups such as Global Radio and GMG Radio.
The promotion encourages listeners to trade their current FM radio to gain a discount off a new DAB set. One of the retailers taking part, Argos, are offering £5 off a DAB radio up to £80, and £15 off a DAB radio over £80.
Managing Director of Niocom David Duffy told RadioToday.co.uk: “It is ludicrous to think that we would encourage any of our listeners to go and replace their perfectly satisfactory analogue radio set with a DAB one on which they may not be able to pick up a DAB signal or any of our stations which will not be on DAB”
He went on to agree with William Rogers at UKRD that “It is quite extra-ordinary that both the BBC and some parts of the commercial sector should broadcast a proposition which they know to be fundamentally flawed in many parts of the country”.
“Many stations such as Dune 107.9 and 106.5 Central Radio won’t even be available on DAB, as the Government has made a complete hash of the migration strategy.”
“Like UKRD, we will not be a party to this duplicitous campaign and I am pleased that many other independent stations appear to be adopting the same principled strategy.”
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