UK Today News: Several big UK broadcasters have now joined hands to develop a system which is aimed at making radio stations audible over the internet. Attempts are being made to boost the online listening experience by bringing together commercial outlets and this came into reality on Thursday, when Radioplayer was launched.
As of now, only 3% of the listeners prefer to listen to the stations over the internet. The growth of listeners who tune into radio stations by accessing the internet has been very low.
The broadcasters will be using the same interface and will also be using it for advertising. Till now, the radio groups supporting the system are GMG, Bauer Media, BBC, UTV Radio and Global.
The director of audio and music Tim Davie at the BBC said that he is looking forward to the success of Radioplayer and it is something that has been due for a long time. Tim said that the radio industry had lacked innovation, and with the introduction of the trial of high bitrate HD Radio, this has signaled a determination towards creative innovation.
According to the new launch , Radioplayer users will be offered some convenience with all music players like search functions, favorite options and some basic controls. The system however does not assure of the same quality from all radio stations. It is up to the broadcasters to choose from the lower to higher bitrates.
Radioplayer is expected to offer around 228 commercial stations by the first week of April 2011.
