Vauxhall To Fit DAB Digital Radios As Standard
Digital radio looks set to receive a further boost to take-up as car manufacturer Vauxhall prepares to launch its Astra SXi Digital, the first family car to be equipped with a DAB digital radio as standard.
The decision is sure to boost digital radio audiences, as well as spurring uptake of the new technology by rival car manufacturers. Vauxhall’s move will please many radio bosses, as core listeners often tune in while they are on the move, bringing an entirely new audience to fledgling digital radio stations.
A spokeswoman for the Digital Radio Development Bureau said: “The DRDB sees this as a significant move in the continued growth of DAB digital radio in the UK and abroad, and we look forward to seeing other car manufacturers following suit.”
Vauxhall’s decision will no doubt sway some potential car-buyers, although with a price tag of over £14,000 the car will not appeal to motorists on a budget.
The move to encourage digital radio takeup echoes a promotion by cross media giant Emap earlier this month. The radio and magazine giant is currently offering subsidised advertising rates for DAB radio retailers across its digital radio portfolio, in an attempt to drive take-up of the technology the all-important run up to Christmas.
Emap’s promotion runs between September and December, and is designed to tempt those listeners currently tuning in through digital TV to make the switch to DAB digital radio equipment (see Emap Advertising Cuts Rates To Drive DAB Uptake).
The Government’s recent DAB digital radio report revealed that there are now more than 600,000 digital radios across the UK, with sales growing annually at 444%. Elsewhere, research from industry regulator Ofcom states that there will be approximately one million digital radios in UK households by the end of the year.
However, even with one million sets in place, the figure represents a mere 1% of the total number of radios in Britain today, a statistic which Ofcom’s head of market intelligence, Peter Davies, states is due in no small part to young listeners percieving the technology as “expensive and undesirable” (see DAB Broadcasters Face Threat From Ipod Generation).
DRDB: 020 7306 2630 www.drdb.org
Recent Radio Stories from NewsLine Radio Festival Puts Spotlight On Advertising To Over Fifties Capital Spins Sponsorship Deal With Woolworths Television Will Lead Switch To Digital Radio
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive