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12 Jan 2010 : Column 234WH—continued
The idea of stations on more than one platform is not new, which moves us to a key point that has not been widely understood-it is really important. Listeners have for decades moved between FM and medium wave, and historically also to long wave. The current generation of DAB sets has tended to make that move a rather sharp distinction, which has led to the fear that FM will end up being a second-class ghetto tier. To avoid that, we are committed to ensuring the implementation of a combined station guide, which is similar to an electronic programme guide, that will allow listeners to access all
stations by name, irrespective of the platform. Future sets will simply have a list of station names. The listener will not distinguish between FM and digital stations, but will simply select the station by name. We are already working with the industry on that system and encouraging its development and introduction as quickly as possible. That is a crucial difference that has not been widely promulgated or understood. It means that people can stay on FM and the new sets can service the same market.
Only 5 per cent. of the digital radio receivers currently on sale cannot receive FM. It is our intention that all digital receivers should be able to receive FM as well as complying with the World DMB profile, which will ensure that they can support other technologies to accommodate future changes. That crucial distinction has not been widely understood. When I explained it to people in the industry, it made a big difference.
The hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland asked whether we could upgrade to DAB-plus from the beginning. I understand why he says that, but we are not right at the beginning. There are 10 million DAB sets out there for which people have laid out large amounts of money. The BBC completed a study into the issue last year, and concluded that, on balance, it was not worth writing off that technology because of the impact on the 10 million people who had bought DAB sets. We have said that all new technology should be DAB-plus and future compatible so that further change is future-proofed and DAB-plus is not excluded.
As for the switchover date of 2015, the hon. Gentleman asked whether it was the only way we would get things moving. The Government believe that 2015 is an achievable date. The actual date that switchover happens will depend
on the criteria for listenership and coverage being satisfied. We think it can be done by 2015, and that it is important to set a challenging target.
The issue of £20 sets was raised. There are already some £30 sets. We have five years to go until 2015, so we remain confident that we will have £20 sets by then.
Miss Anne Begg (Aberdeen, South) (Lab): I am interested to hear what my hon. Friend says about the 2015 date. Can I take it from what he said this morning that 2015 is an aspiration to encourage the industry to move towards digital-to put their house in order and get things ready? However, if the coverage is not there in places such as the constituencies of the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) and the right hon. Member for Gordon (Malcolm Bruce) where there are a lot of hills, will the Government will look at the date again? That date is not already fixed.
Mr. Simon: As I said, we believe it is an achievable date. If more than 50 per cent. of listeners are not on digital by then, and if coverage is not similar to FM-98.5 per cent.-it will not happen on that date. If for any other unforeseen reason, we are not, as a nation, in good shape to do it by then, we will not do it. We will not switch over at an inappropriate time, but we believe that it can and should be done in 2015.
As time ticks on, let me say that a relatively small and cheap piece of hardware will be available to convert in-car sets to something that works in the future as well as the present.
2 pm
Sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(11)).
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