Festive Radio Sales Boost DAB Uptake
Christmas sales have boosted digital radio uptake, according to new figures from the Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB), with almost 500,000 digital receivers sold in December alone.
The festive sales push the number of DAB purchases to date to 2.7 million, with 1.4 million sold in 2005 alone.
Around 5.4 million people now listen to digital radio on a DAB device, according to the DRDB, with RAJAR figures released yesterday reporting that 11.1% of the population now live in a DAB equipped household (see Digital Popularity Rising As Technology Widens Choices Digital Popularity Rising As Technology Widens Choices ).
The increasing uptake of digital radio, which has more than doubled in the last 12 months, results in a DAB radio market worth approximately £135 million in 2005, up from £86 million in 2004 according to research firm Gfk.
According to RAJAR, more people now listen to digital radio via a DAB receiver than via the internet and digital television combined.
Commenting on the new statistics, Ian Dickens chief executive of the DRDB, said: “Christmas on the High Street was a tough proposition this year. DAB digital radio was once again a shining light with independents, the multi-nationals and especially the mass-merchandisers enjoying strong sales right through the holidays and into January.”
The coming months could see DAB’s expansion continue, with Ofcom currently mulling a second national digital multiplex, allowing more stations and scope for new data services.
The new bandwidth has piqued the interest of many broadcasters, not least Channel 4, which plans to bid for the spectrum space in order to launch a raft of digital radio and mobile data services (see Channel 4 Announces Plans For Digital Radio).
However, the creation of a second national multiplex remains a bone of contention with GCap Media, which operates the current national network.
GCap chief executive Ralph Bernard criticised Ofcom’s decision to create the second multiplex at the MediaTel INSIGHT Digital Radio and Beyond Seminar last year, branding the move unfair and illegal (see New Multiplexes Are Illegal – Bernard).
DRDB: 020 7306 2630 www.drdb.org