Digital Radio Sales Top Three Million

Sales of DAB radio sets in the UK have topped the three million mark, according to new figures from the Digital Radio Development Bureau, which reveal continued growth in the sector.

According to a study commissioned by the DRDB and conducted by GfK, the three million landmark was reached at the end of March, with 3.05 million cumulative sales reported.

The new figures mean that more than 11% of the population now live in a DAB equipped household, while a separate DRDB survey has shown 20% of DAB owners have purchased a second or even third digital radio.

DRDB chief executive, Ian Dickens, welcomed today’s figures, stating: “It took five years for DAB set sales to reach the first million; it took just nine months to reach the second million, and five months to top three million.”

According to GfK, 14% of all radio sets sold are now DAB, with the DRDB predicting that two million digital sets could be sold in the 12 months to December 2006, putting cumulative sales at 4.7 million by the end of the year.

Innovation in small form radios is expected to drive takeup, along with this summer’s World Cup, while the convergence of form factors is also proving popular with consumers, in particular where DAB and MP3 players are merging. The first DAB enabled mobile phones are also expected to appear this summer, with BT Movio broadcasting digital television and radio services on the Virgin Mobile network (see ‘Real’ Mobile TV System To Launch Within Four Months).

DRDB: 020 7306 2630 www.drdb.org