Digital is the game changer, says Dickens

Clive Dickens has spoken out about the future of radio in the UK, citing digital radio as the game changer for commercial radio.

Austereo’s new Director of Digital and Innovation encourages the UK industry to embrace digital, pointing out the major change in use of spectrum from FM, where the BBC dominates, to DAB where commercial radio owns most of the space.

Clive suggests the BBC’s majority listenership may be down to the corporation’s majority spectrum space. “The BBC has 70% of analogue spectrum and they get 60% of audience,” he says.

“We have spent so many years arguing about digital but if we get this right over the next 10 years, it could be the game changer for commercial radio.

“All of the growth in radio over the last 12 months is to digital. Listening on FM is declining whilst digital listeners are listening and listening longer

“No major network has less than 20 percent of its listening digitally, even local stations owned by people who have sat there and tried to destroy digital radio, their own stations have 10-12 per cent. I’m talking to you William Rogers.”

Clive, who left Absolute Radio last week after five years in charge was talking on The Radio Today Programme podcast with Trevor Dann before departing, and is now availale to listen on Audioboo.