Last week saw Ofcom delve deeper into the future of radio licensing in the UK.

First, Ofcom began a consultation on the future regulatory framework for radio. The big issue is that people are switching to digital platforms (DAB, iTunes) and that analogue radio is beginning to fade in importance. The industry is also confronted by a patchwork of (sometimes onerous) regulation that has never really been thought through as a system of regulation. Fair enough. I’m probably typical — I switched to DAB last year and also listen through my Sky+ system. I don’t own an analogue radio. The amount of regulation in the sector also seems burdensome considering that the state-owned broadcaster, the BBC, is the dominant player in the market.

Ofcom’s consultation document is here. [184-page pdf; shorter version here]. The opening line is dramatic: ‘Radio, the oldest broadcast medium, is in transition.’ It’s the spectre haunting Europe, the gathering storm, ‘Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall‘ … err … well, it’s a really thorny radio licensing problem.

Like some other Ofcom consultations, I think the regulator is trying to squeeze too many issues into one consultation here. 184 pages of radio proposals is simply too much for most people — save those inside the industry — to follow. Even the online consultation response form (which is usually quite good) is unwieldy in this case. Some of these issues, like proposals to amend licence terms, really only involve the industry, and others like ownership or content regulation or DAB sound quality appear to involve the general public more. So, I think this could be broken into two or more consultations.

Ofcom also issued research on pirate broadcasting. Ofcom mainly look at the issue in the London area. They write in part:

‘However, the report also shows that some illegal stations attract a substantial audience, with 16% of adults in Greater London regularly listening to them. Ofcom’s research shows that 25% of adults in Hackney, Haringey and Lambeth regularly tune in. Some 62% of listeners in these boroughs say that illegal broadcasters offer something different from licensed commercial radio and 40% say that illegal radio is community focused.’

This lead blogger Seamus McCauley to comment:

‘Perhaps it’s just me who finds it peculiar that Ofcom’s response to its own research showing the huge popularity of pirate radio is to look for more effective ways of closing pirate radio down.’

Another interesting reaction from the blogosphere: James Cridland on DAB sound quality issues.

Stay tuned…