RAJAR Q3 2011: Digital

Digital radio put in a strong performance once again, with digital listening hours breaking through the 300 million mark for the first time.

Listening to radio via a digital platform in terms of weekly reach has increased by 12% YoY, with 22.8 million people now tuning in to radio via a digitally enabled receiver (DAB, DTV, internet) each week (up from 20.4 million in Q3 2010).

Digital listening hours for Q3 reached 304 million, up 16% from 262 million hours during the same period last year. DAB radio maintains its position as the most popular device when it comes to listening to digital radio, accounting for 63.9% of all digital hours.

However listening via DTV (digital television) and internet have both continued to rise YoY (hours up by 8% and 32% respectively), albeit from a smaller base.

The share of radio listening via a digital platform now stands at 28.2% of all listening. DAB listening has increased its share from 15.3% in Q3 2010 to 18% in Q3 2011, while the share of DTV listening has increased from 4.4% in Q3 2010 to reach 4.7% this year. Internet listening, which currently stands at 3.7%, is up from 2.8% in Q3 2010.

Access to a DAB receiver is up 12% on Q3 2010 with almost two in five of the population (39.4%), or 20.5 million adults (aged 15+), claiming to live in a household which has a DAB set.

RAJAR data released today also reveals that 15.8% of adults aged 15+ listened to the radio via mobile phone in Q3, 2011, up 24.2% YoY. In the 25+ demographic, 12.7% say they have listened to the radio via their mobile phone, up from 9.4% in Q3 2010. In the 15 to 24 demographic, nearly a third or 32.4% of those surveyed now claim to have listened to the radio in this way with 15.2% stating they listen at least once a week and 3.1% stating they listen every day.

MediaTel has PowerPoint presentations available to download, featuring pre-prepared market breakdown graphs for the RAJAR data release – click here.