think they're actually planning on binning FM at some point ( 2015? ), though it would free up very little bandwidth.
the plan set in the Digital Britain paper was to move all the stations presently on FM, to DAB. then sell new FM licences to new local stations, which currently boardcast on MW.
OfCom have stated a year or 2 ago that the DB time line of a 2015 switch over wasnt commercially viable, nor could they force the move as is happening in TV, since there is something like 15million analogue radios being used, and less than 2 million DAB recievers sold.
They feel if FM stations where pushed onto DAB before there is a larger take up of DAB, then people would just stop listening - especially since there arent many in car options, and new cars dont come with DAB either. the goverment is looking at making it mandatory for them to install a DAB radio in new cars.
When you look at the DAB only stations, they just arent surviving - GMG has shut or merged many of its DAB stations with other stations. IE Rock Radio, was DAB only in the North East, it was merged with the Manchester station, which broadcasts on FM.
GCap sold off Planet Rock and the Jazz station they had...