A Flash Player for UK radio stations will launch on 31 March

THE BBC AND OTHERS will be releasing an online radio player on March 31 that will offer audio from every licensed UK radio station in the form of a Flash Player audio pop-up console.

Called "Radioplayer", it is a single online player that aims to fix the difficulties that people have listening to radio on the web. Stations in the UK often offer streams, but previously there hasn't been a source where you could easily get all UK stations in one place. Radioplayer, which has been developed with input from the BBC and the Guardian Media Group, aims to do just this.

Currently the BBC Iplayer offers radio streams, but only from BBC channels. Radioplayer is looking to feature between 200 to 300 individual BBC and commercial services. For audio, the console will have the normal audio controls, as well as a search box and a way to save pre-set channels like a car radio.

Online radio streaming has been with us since most younger people can remember, from the capabilities of WinAmp and Itunes to streams coming straight from individual websites. But Radioplayer will be the first time we'll be able to get all UK radio channels, all in one place.

Initially Radioplayer is targeted at computers that have Flash installed. Further on, smartphones and tablets will be targeted too, but until a different audio format than Flash is added, which might be never, it won't be available on Apple machines. µ