UK government to sell additional DAB licenses

Ed Vaizey, the UK Communications minister, is expected to announce a major expansion of commercial digital radio at the Go Digital Conference 12/16 (BBC Broadcasting House). He’ll tell attendees that Ofcom (the UK’s FCC) will reopen license bidding on extra capacity for national DAB stations next year, per a UK Telegraph story. He’s also expected to set a timetable for the switchover, however, digital radio listening must reach 50% of all listening for the government to proceed with the official switchover process. The latest speculation is 1H of 2018. Digital listening, including online, now accounts for 36% of listening.