Digital Radio Increases UK Penetration

The uptake of digital radio in the UK is increasing at a healthy pace, with the latest set of RAJAR figures for the third quarter of 2005 showing the medium enjoying a surge in popularity, with DAB radio ownership amongst adults rising to 10.5% in Q3, up 6 percentage points year on year.

The latest RAJAR data shows consumers welcoming digital media, with digital television (DTV) and the internet showing growth in audience listening.

According to RAJAR, 35.1% of adults in the UK currently listen to the radio via the television, a jump of 13.8% points since the end of 2003 and an 2.7% point increase from the last quarter.

Frequency of listening to the radio via DTV is also up, with 19.9% of adults using the technology at least once a week in Q3, compared to 14.7% using it less than once a week. DTV listening steadily risen in recent years, with the latest increase marking the largest leap in usage since Q1 2004, rising to 8.3%.

The internet is also fuelling consumers’ interest in radio, with the medium not only used to listen to online, but also by users to visit stations’ websites. RAJAR claims that in Q3 2005 28.3% of consumers visited a station website, up from 25.3% this time last year.

National stations in the UK are also benefiting from the internet’s presence in the radio world, with 13.5% of people listening via their PCs, up 3.3% points from 10.2% in September 2004.

These strong results for digital radio and the mechanisms used to access the channel confirm the latest predictions from the Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB), forecasting the medium to enjoy a healthy performance over the next four years (see DRDB Predicts Massive Growth In Digital Radio).

According to the DRDB’s estimates, there will be around 20 million digital radios in UK homes, up from 1.2 million at the end of 2004, with an expected 40% penetration rate by the end of 2009.

RAJAR: 0207 903 5350 www.rajar.co.uk