MP ACTS ON "THREAT TO LOCAL COMMERCIAL RADIO"

3.00.00pm GMT Mon 4th Jan 2010

Julia at Pirate FM’s studio in Redruth with boss Beverley Warne and presenter Neil Caddy

Julia Goldsworthy is campaigning against Government plans to scrap analogue radio which could spell disaster for local commercial stations in Cornwall.

She met local radio bosses in Cornwall to hear their concerns over the new Digital Britain Bill put forward by the Government. The Bill proposes to scrap analogue radio by 2015, meaning commercial stations like Pirate FM and Atlantic FM could lose their local focus by being merged into a Devon and Cornwall 'DAB region'.

Around 100 local radio stations around the UK may not be able to migrate to digital at all, meaning they would shut down altogether. Julia said the Government's formula was a recipe for global operators taking over smaller stations.

She said: "Unless the legislation is changed, popular local radio stations like Pirate and Atlantic FM may struggle to survive. Instead, the Government's model is set up to suit much bigger operators who are interested only in giant regional stations with no local focus. That is bad news for advertisers and bad for listeners who want commercial radio with their local community at its heart."

Julia and the rest of Cornwall's Lib Dem MPs are working with Peers to get the legislation amended in the House of Lords. They are also tabling a motion in the Commons calling on the Government to change their plans.

She added: "The Government has not thought this bill through properly. It needs to be revised to make it possible for existing local stations to compete on a local basis through the digital format. That means postponing the analogue switch off for at least 10 years to enable local radio stations to prepare properly for it."

Over Christmas, Julia met Pirate FM's Beverley Warne to hear her concerns about the proposals.

Ms Warne said: "To make digital viable we would have to cover a bigger area. This means there we will undoubtedly lose our community radio stations and other commercial stations will lose their local identity and become like many regional stations that in the main are operated from London."

She added that it could damage local business too, as advertisers would lose their broadcast options for local advertising: "In addition, 120 million analogue radios across the UK would need to be replaced which would clearly have both cost and environmental implications, especially as the new units would require more power than is required currently.

"We are proposing that there shouldn't be a switchover until 2020 at the very earliest, whilst other, more effective options are explored." Ms Warne said.

Atlantic FM's Founder and Development Director, Jeremy Scott added: "FM radio is popular and successful, while DAB digital radio is as yet unproven and technically flawed.

"Digital reception is terrible across much of Cornwall, while FM coverage is pretty good even in remote areas. We would hate to see rural listeners deprived of coverage for no reason other than to promote DAB - which most other countries now agree is an obsolete technology.

"The plan for FM switch-off is so absurd that we don't really expect it to happen - but it might do unless listeners and radio stations fight now to save FM radio. It's good to see Cornwall's MPs providing a lead on these important issues."