'Radio Amnesty' begins today

A 'scrappage scheme' is being launched in the UK to encourage people to upgrade their old analogue radios with new digital sets.

From today, the 'radio amnesty' will see participating retailers offering customers discounts of between 10% and 20% on new DAB digital radios.

The initiative, developed by the BBC and commercial radio stations, draws inspiration from the last Government’s popular car scrappage scheme and will run until 26 June.
It will be supported by on-air radio promotions developed by Digital Radio UK.

However, the move to digital appears to be meeting a great deal of resistance from consumers, who will be forced to throw away perfectly good AM/FM radios in 2015, the date planned for the switch-off of the UK's analogue transmissions.

On Thursday, 20th May, BBC Radio 4's 'PM' programme carried a short piece about DAB radio.

The item features a discussion between Tony Maretta of Digital Radio UK and Dr. Rob Mannion, the editor of Practical Wireless magazine, who is leading a nation-wide campaign to 'Save Analogue Radio'.

You can listen to the programme on the BBC's 'Listen Again' archive. It is the last item of the hour-long programme, and begins at about 57 minutes in.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sccf4#synopsis

Related URLs

Peers warn of backlash fears over digital radio
The government could face a public backlash over its plans to switch national radio stations over to digital transmission, peers have warned http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2010/
digital_radio_backlash_fears.htm

Save Analogue Radio campaign
A National Campaign to maintain essential traditional analogue broadcast radio for everyday listening and for use in times of national emergencies
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/april2010/save_analogue_radio.htm

• Click here to support the Save Analogue Radio Campaign