The future of audio: the UK Radioplayer

Today I have been at the Media Festival in Manchester talking about The Future of Audio. My speech followed the announcement this morning of the industry-wide UK Radioplayer and I was delighted to show the audience this mocked-up demo of how the player might look and work:

It's a really exciting development and a result of focused, collaborative thinking within the radio industry. It's a simple, compelling proposition for listeners, and I would welcome any comments on the project. In my speech, I argued that projects that lead digital innovation - like the Radioplayer - are essential if the audio market is to remain strong, but they must go hand in hand with unique, challenging and thought-provoking programmes which make the most of radio's unique ability to push creative boundaries. Here are a few examples:



• Radio 4's The History of the World in 100 Objects, which airs early next year: a hugely ambitious project involving a partnership with the British Museum and with scores of museums across the country.

• Jeremy Vine's Radio 2 show focuses on dementia all next week, looking at a number of issues ranging from quality of care to how sufferers may be open to financial abuse.

• Radio 1's Newsbeat will visit Afghanistan in December, reporting not only from Camp Bastion but also from within a US Marine Forward Operating Base, and building on the station's deeply impressive record in reporting the realities and implications of the conflict.

• Radio 3's end-of-year programming around its four Composers of the Year, with a rather special New Year's Eve when guests as varied as Fiona Shaw, Sting and John Sessions will reveal their own thoughts of the composers, followed by live debate.

• And cutting-edge comedy on Radio 4 in News at Bedtime, a rather different type of news analysis programme as it covers events via the world of nursery rhymes and fairy tales. The seven-part satirical series will be hosted by John Tweedledum (played by Jack Dee) and John Tweedledee (Peter Capaldi) and is written by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.

Finally, I explained how we are developing our audio archive so that we can provide resources of enormous and lasting value. For instance, next year we will launch a new In Our Time archive that will be available for anyone who wants to access a full 11 years of quite superb broadcasts on the History of Ideas, featuring everything from Schopenhauer to the death of Elizabeth I. Quite brilliant and utterly unique. But if you can't wait until then, you can enjoy Melvyn Bragg's latest programme here.



(Tim Davie is Director of BBC Audio & Music)