A company called Frontier Silicon has developed a little flim flam - to use the technical jargon - that will enable radio listeners to access FM and DAB radio services via one electronic programme guide, which would be incorporated into DAB radio sets.

It's an important development because one of the objections to the proposals to switch off most of the FM network in 2015 is that a handful of smaller and community radio stations won't be able to make the switch to the digital network at that time - mainly because of a lack of capacity on DAB - and some fear that that would basically be a deathblow for those stations as the population at large stop tuning into the FM waveband (or, even worse, bin all their FM radio sets).

The combined EPG would mean that those services left on FM after the digital switchover could appear in the same programme guide as the DAB services, even though they are broadcasting on another network. The EPG would even put all the stations in alphabetical order, so it's not like all the FM stations would be stacked at the back.

The new technology is being supported by Digital Radio UK, the body charged with the task of turning us all digital in a radio stylee. The organisation's CEO Ford Ennals told reporters: "It's really exciting to see this project make such rapid and significant progress. Creating a secure and thriving future for all sectors of the radio industry is our primary objective, and ensuring that listeners can navigate with ease between their chosen stations, regardless of platform, is crucial to delivering that".

Frontier Silicon's Anthony Sethill added: "Our engineers have already made great progress in the development of the integrated guide. The prototype that we've demonstrated gives a really good working impression of how we can effectively and simply eliminate the need for a button or switch to navigate between digital and analogue".