Digital radio listening reaches 25%

25% of all radio listening is now to digital platforms, like DAB, Freeview, on line, up just a fraction from 24.8 per cent last quarter.

Listening to DAB has also increased, by a similarly small amount, from 15.3 per cent to 15.8 per cent, whilst internet radio and digital television listening remain around the same mark.

So the digital lobby still has a long way to go to get all radio listeners to go digital. I believe DAB is a dying platform, the signal strengths of the current system mean that listening on portable sets inside is unreliable and car listening patchy, and as to the quality, don't get me started. More and more radio and audio listeners are choosing what, and more importantly, when they listen with services like podcasts. It would be interesting to see if the latest RAJAR figures have and breakdowns for deferred listening for podcasts.

Education

The news this morning has covered the potential revision of university education as the costs have apperntly increased and are placng too higher burden on the state finances.

I am getting increasing frustrated about the pressure for more and more people to have to go to university to get a degree to stand any chance of getting a job.

Why do we have to do this. There has always been a proportion of our young people for whom an acedemic univeristy education is not the right solution and yet they feel presurised in going so as to get a good job.

I didn't go to university, instead I served an apprenticeship at Marconi Communications Systems Ltd in Chelmsford, Essex because my dad (who was in a position to know) said it was the best scheme in the country.

I am involved with the Advanced Media Apprenticeship, which is in its 3rd year up here in Manchester, and enabling young people who wouldn't have had the opportunity to undertake a proper 18 month block release apprenticeship and are getting real jobs in this sector. However, although there is a push by government to resurrect the apprenticeship scheme following its decimation in the last recession  it doesn't yet seem to be having a positve affect on young people's expectations.

I would also add this to the UK's lack of respect for engineering and science. It was reported on BBC Breakfast this morning that we are only filling 50% of the science posts from home grown talent. The guy from Dyson was at pains to point out that if we want to get out of the current mess then we will need to start to innovate again and return to the place where we punched above our weight.

So we need to make engineering and science a respectable career as we do with other professions like law, teaching etc. In Germany they respect their engineers and in my business they have a phrase for someone who works in sound as a Tonmeister.

So come on folk respect and value your engineers and scientists and lets not force everyone to have to get a degree to get a job. Let us train people for the jobs they are going to do. Surely it is a "no brainer" as industry will get people you can do the job rather than people who can talk about it.