The Digital Radio Working Group (DWRG) has urged larger FM stations to begin to migrate to DAB with total migration completed by 2020.

In its interim report to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the cross-industry group, which was set up in November 2007, to look at the future of digital radio, recommends migrating all national, regional and large local stations to DAB, with FM continuing to be used by small local and community radio stations.

According to the report, a long-term plan should be developed to move all radio services across to digital, predicted for 2020, but it adds that the Government first needs to set out the conditions that must be met before this can be achieved. This should be done between 2012 and 2015.

The report has been welcomed by industry organisations including Intellect, the trade association for the UK technology industry, and the DRDB (Digital Radio Development Bureau).

Intellect's director of Consumer Electronics, Laurence Harrison, (pictured), said of the interim report: “We believe the future is digital and fully support the findings of the interim report. We think the collaborative approach that the Government has taken in the Digital Radio Working Group is the right one.

"With over 7 million DAB sets already in households, growing listening figures and a variety of exciting new products to come to market, digital radio is set to go from strength to strength.”

DRDB chief executive, Tony Moretta, said: “It is important that any existing barriers to growth are addressed by the industry as a whole with a cohesive strategy that allows us to build on the success DAB has enjoyed over the past few years. This report goes a long way to setting out an agreed vision for the future of digital radio in the UK. We look forward to reading the full report later in the year.”