BBC Trust: Digital stations failing to have impact

The Radio Magazine: The BBC Trust has expressed concern about the success of the corporation’s digital-only stations – and the DAB platform as a whole.

In its annual report, published this week, the trust said awareness of stations such as 6Music and 1Xtra remained low, with only 41 per cent of the population saying they had heard of them.

“Digital-only stations have yet to make a breakthrough. The overwhelming majority of digital radio listening is to the BBC’s analogue services,” the report said.

“Concerns have grown about the future of DAB within the commercial radio market. It remains to be seen whether the arrival later this year of the second national [commercial] digital multiplex led by Channel 4 Radio will boost the market sufficiently to ensure its long-term viability.”

The BBC’s annual report, published this week alongside that of the BBC Trust, revealed that the outgoing director of BBC audio and music, Jenny Abramsky, took home a total of £419,000 in the year to the end of March.

Her bonus was £19,000 – an amount that has been docked as a result of the series of “editorial lapses” involving BBC radio shows including Russell Brand and Jo Whiley in the past year.