BBC expands iPlayer radio downloads to seven days

iPlayer to extend radio downloads to seven days

Fans of BBC radio will be able to download programmes for seven days after broadcast in changes being made to the iPlayer announced today.

Currently, people are only able to listen to BBC radio content as audio streams for up to seven days after the original broadcast.

The change, expected to be available next year and to bring radio in line with TV, would mean that people can download the material for seven days after broadcast.

They will also have 30 days to store it before opening and, once opened, seven days to listen.

The changes are being made to iPlayer Radio to give licence fee payers "greater choice" and to help retain younger listeners.

In the past decade, total UK radio listening hours for all audiences has fallen and the decline is particularly stark for 15-24-year-olds.

The average time 15-24-year-olds spend listening to BBC radio has declined by 17.5% between 2002 and 2012, with Radio 1, which targets a younger audience, dropping by 22.5% during the same time period.

But there has also been more demand to access content on mobile devices such as smartphones.

The cost of making the change is estimated to be between £100,000 and £150,000.