If you're one of those people that not only likes television but also radio then today's news is a thriller.  The BBC, monolith of the production world and loved by all for their iPlayer which provides us with free tele, is bringing out an iplayer, but for radio.  It's going to be called Radioplayer.

The player may be transferable (is this even an option on existing iPlayer?) across social networking sites - Facebook - and blogs and "other websites."  400 commercial and BBC stations will be available through the project.  Commercial, because unlike the TV iPlayer, radio groups including the Radio Centre, Global Radio, and Guardian Media Group have signed up in partnership.  A "first step" in BBC partnership forming said Tim Davie, BBC Director of audio and music.

Today Davie displayed potential versions of the service at the Manchester Media Festival, including the potential for embeddable widgets and post-code based search facilities.



Overall, the project aims to "provide further cohesion between commercial radio and the BBC as we drive to digital."  Importantly, it's about making a big network or "one online console" of radio stations, which is a great idea.

The key part is to question how important radio is.  Will it have the success of television, or even a fraction?  Current BBC stats suggest that 3,082,231 users tune in across the BBC networks, so perhaps the fact that I don't listen suggests that I'm one of the lost youth of modern technology and radio isn't solely for people in cars and traffic jams.