Radioplayer is to gain significant new investment and take over the role of Digital Radio UK as the BBC, Global and Bauer agree a restructure.
The move follows the Government & Industry Digital Radio and Audio Review and will see Digital Radio UK CEO Ford Ennals leave the organisation.
The Review highlighted that there are “significant benefits” from strengthening the partnerships and cooperation between UK broadcasters, partnerships with European radio broadcasters, audio device manufacturers and with retailers to promote the benefits of radio and audio, and the increased choice of services available
While FM will continue to play a critical role until at least 2030, the future of radio is both digital and multiplatform, with online platforms playing an increasingly important role alongside DAB/DAB+ in securing radio’s digital future, with cars in particular representing a critical emerging connected environment.
Digital Radio UK was founded in 2010, when only 25% of radio listening was digital. By 2021 this had increased to 65%.
Ford Ennals has decided to step down and is moving to a new role in commercial radio outside of the UK.
In a joint statement the BBC, Bauer, Global and Radiocentre said: “We know there are further significant changes taking place in the audio market and in how audiences are accessing our content, as the recent Digital Radio and Audio Review highlighted.
“The newly structured Radioplayer, combined with increased investment and continued collaboration, will allow us to embrace every digital opportunity available to us and successfully deliver the next phase of innovation and transformation for the radio industry.
“We’d like to thank Ford Ennals for his services to digital listening, which is now the way most people listen to radio.”
Radioplayer is a cross-industry collaboration – a broadcaster-led, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to keeping radio listening simple in cars and on other connected devices including smartphones, smart-speakers and web browsers, and to ensuring easy access to radio and broadcaster audio for audiences.
RadioToday’s take
A good move which will not only strengthen ‘radio’ as an offering to manufacturers, clients and other industries in the UK but with our radio colleagues around the world.
Digital Radio includes online listening so bringing the two bodies together makes sense.
We’d like to personally thank Ford Ennals and all the team at Digital Radio UK for all their extremely hard work at pushing digital radio. We’ve loved working with them and appreciate their openness when it comes to reporting on the journey of digital radio.
Posted on Friday, March 11th, 2022 at 9:08 am by RadioToday UK