ARLA/CLUSTER: O "switch-off" da Rádio analógica no Reino Unido

[João Gonçalves Costa]

AM/FM switch-off of national radio stations? An empty threat that long expired

Some of Digital Britain’s radio recommendations were unworkable. However, the notion has remained that FM and AM analogue transmitters of the UK’s national radio stations will be switched off once digital radio listening passes the 50% threshold. 

This was never practical. It was a ‘threat’ propagated by government to the public in the hope of forcing them into buying more DAB radios, instilling fear that they would otherwise lose their favourite stations. The threat failed.

The problem with any threat is that, once it has failed, it remains difficult for the protagonist to climb down. So the threat continues to be propagated. 

For what reason now? So as not to make those who issued the threat look completely foolish. The need to save face has locked the government apparatus into a fiction that BBC and commercial radio will willingly throw away half their audiences by closing their FM/AM transmitters. This was never true.

You can read the full article by Grant Goddard at: 
http://www.glgroup.com/News/AM-FM-Switch-Off-Of-National-Radio-Stations--An-Empty-Threat-That-Long-Expired-53366.html