Digital Radio UK are set to try and convince more radio listeners to move to digital listening after they announced this week that they would be launching a month long scrappage scheme on 22nd May, designed to get listeners to trade in their old FM/AM radios for a shiny new digital radio.

The body responsible for getting the UK population to switch to digital radio is backing the scheme with a major marketing campaign featuring Stephen Fry, Noddy Holder and Gaby Roslin. Several retailers including Argos, Comet, John Lewis and Tesco have signed up to the scheme, offering up to 10% off digital sets. Commercial and BBC radio stations are collaborating on a national radio advertising campaign to promote the scheme. Posters and other marketing will run in shops to also help promote the scheme.

The government has set out a target of 50% of all radio listening being via digital platforms including radio, TV and the internet by 2013. The most recent RAJAR from Q1 2010 shows that only 24% of people listen via a digital platform and only 35% of the population own at least one digital radio. It seems the government has a long way to go before 2013 and has an even bigger task if they want to switch radio over to digital in 2015. Much of the radio industry is behind the digital switchover but most agree that much more needs to be done in order to get people switching over. The motor industry is still producing cars with AM/FM radios and the government must start encouraging them to fit digital radio as standard. At an average cost of around £70, DAB sets for cars aren't cheap and people have no incentive to change over.

Consumer opinion seems to be that when the UK already has a perfectly good working system on FM and AM, there is no need to switch over to digital and waste money doing so. Switching to digital will of course give the consumer more choice; people in London can listen to Key 103. Most radio listeners, however, already have their own repertoire of stations that they know and feel comfortable with and it is rare that people will change what stations they listen to. To offer up to 10% off to trade in your old radio is not a big enough incentive, in most people's views, when a digital radio can cost anything from £30 - £250.