MUMBAI: All radio services should now be developed to digital, said an interim report in the UK- and migration of most content could be completed by 2020, as reported by The Press Association.

According to a BBC report, the Digital Radio Working Group (DRWG) said no date should be set yet for the switch, but it believes the transfer could be completed by the year 2020.

The interim report said listeners should be given at least two years' notice before the change begins.

The Digital Radio Working Group (DRWG) believes that traditional radio business models will be unable indefinitely to support increased costs of broadcasting on both analogue and multiple digital platforms.The group recommended switching all national, regional and large local stations to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), with FM continuing to be used by small local and community radio stations. Its initial assessment was that migration could be completed by 2020.

The body said the Government needs to set out conditions and examine how much listeners have adopted digital radio, particularly DAB, as well as coverage levels.

The interim report also identified gaps in coverage and signal strength as potential barriers.

The current reach of DAB networks to 90% of the population must increase, as must the robustness of the signal, the group said. It also called for a clear plan to encourage car manufacturers to fit digital radio as standard.

DRWG chairman Barry Cox says, "At the end of May this year, sales of DAB sets exceeded seven million. We believe radio must have a digital future and that this will benefit both listeners and industry.

Audiences will be able to enjoy increased functionality and more choice of channels, while the industry will no longer have to sustain the increased transmission costs of broadcasting on multiple platforms."

The group, set up in November 2007, has been looking at the barriers to the growth of digital radio and the conditions needed to allow digital platforms to become the main means of delivering radio.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham told The Press Association that radio must have a digital future, insisting, "Millions of people are already enjoying the benefits of digital radio. I believe that radio must have a digital future if it is to remain relevant."