16 July 2026: The government has agreed that UK radio services should be supported across all the main voice assistants, including their AI powered spin-offs.
Confirmation of this approach was part of an announcement yesterday (15 July) of plans to formally designate Amazon’s Alexa and Alexa+, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri as regulated Radio Selection Services under the Media Act 2024.
Media Minister Ian Murray made a statement to parliament setting out the government’s position, which will be followed by a short consultation. This step marks a major milestone in protecting listeners’ access to UK radio on voice-activated devices, following Ofcom’s recommendation in March that the main three voice assistant platforms should be designated under Part 6 of the Act.
The government’s proposals accept Ofcom’s recommendations and also safeguard listeners using Alexa+, Amazon’s new AI-powered version of Alexa, which will now fall within the scope of the new framework, following calls from the radio industry. This will ensure the protections continue to apply as the platforms evolve. The plans also state that the same approach is likely to apply to any future upgrade of Google Assistant and for any AI upgrade of Apple’s Siri, helping to future-proof the legislation.
CEO at Radiocentre, Matt Payton says:
“This is a significant move towards implementation of these new rules. With millions of listeners now accessing radio through smart speakers, it’s vital that they can continue to find and enjoy their favourite stations, especially as AI technology continues to evolve. We look forward to continuing to work with the government and Ofcom on the new framework which we expect to come into force next year.”
Radiocentre will provide an industry response to the consultation which closes on 9th September 2026.
