United Kingdom - Current situation - History
21.08.2015
Digital Radio Switchover
The UK radio industry is committed to a digital future for radio and is working towards a Digital Radio Switchover. Click here to read the speech presented by Ed Vaizey, UK Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the EU, Brussels, 26th November 2014, at the conference: "Digital Audio Broadcasting: A sustainable future broadcasting model for Europe".
Government criteria for setting a date for digital radio switchover are:
- Digital listening share to reach 50% of all listening hours
- When local commercial and national DAB coverage reaches FM equivalence
The DCMS Digital Radio Action Plan has now been completed. Details can be found on the U.K Government website.
DIGITAL RADIO FACTS AND FIGURES:
- DAB listening and ownership grew in Q2 2015 boosting all digital listening to nearly 40% (39.94%)
- Strong DAB listening hours growth of 13% year on year propelled total digital listening hours to 10.6% year on year growth (RAJAR Q2 2015)
- Over half of all UK households (50.9%) now have a DAB radio for the first time with 27 million adults having access to DAB (RAJAR Q2 2015)
- 55% of all listeners (30 million people) listen on digital platforms (RAJAR Q2 2015)
- Listening to analogue radio declined to a new low of 53.7% (RAJAR Q2 2015)
- Digital listening in cars grew by 48% year on year and now accounts for almost 17% of all in car listening (RAJAR Q2 2015)
- In London digital listening extended its lead over analogue listening (47.3% vs 45.9%) (RAJAR Q2 2015)
- Commercial radio enjoyed strong digital growth, attracting a higher digital share than the BBC for the first time (40.1% vs 39.5%) (RAJAR Q2 2015)
- There were record-breaking performances by digital-only stations Absolute 80s and Kisstory (RAJAR Q2 2015)
- The latest data from CAP/SMMT shows that 70% of new cars sold in Q2 2015 came with DAB as standard, up from 64.2% in Q1 2015 (CAP/SMMT June 2015)
Second National DAB Multiplex - Digital Two
UK media regulator Ofcom accepted the Sound Digital consortium's bid to run the new Digital Two national commercial DAB network. The consortium is made up of Bauer Media Group, UTV Media and Arqiva (who own and run Digital One). The second national DAB digital radio multiplex will sit alongside the existing Digital One network, and all the local digital radio platforms that currently operate. Digital Two will feature an additional 15-18 new DAB stations with potentially up to 30% of the network using DAB+. Ofcom anticipates that the new stations would launch in early 2016. The launch of the new digital radio stations and the Digital Two network will significantly increase demand for DAB digital radios.
Ender's Analysis report: "Radio - set for a digital future?"
Drive to Digital: NOW Conference
On Friday 6 February the Drive to Digital: NOW conference was held with a series of announcements from Ed Vaizey MP, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy about digital radio policy and progress. The Minister outlined how the switchover criteria for coverage and listening could be achieved over the next 2 years. The Digital Radio UK press release is available to download here.
Download the presentations from Drive to Digital:NOW
15.07.2015
Digital Radio Switchover
The UK radio industry is committed to a digital future for radio and is working towards a Digital Radio Switchover. Click here to read the speech presented by Ed Vaizey, UK Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the EU, Brussels, 26th November 2014, at the conference: "Digital Audio Broadcasting: A sustainable future broadcasting model for Europe".
Government criteria for setting a date for digital radio switchover are:
- Digital listening share to reach 50% of all listening hours
- When local commercial and national DAB coverage reaches FM equivalence
The DCMS Digital Radio Action Plan has now been completed. Details can be found on the U.K Government website.
DIGITAL RADIO FACTS AND FIGURES:
- Q1 2015 saw a strong increase in digital listening share to almost 40% (39.6%) which means that share is up 8.2% year on year (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- A record 54% of the UK population listens to radio via a digital platform each week (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Digital listening hours top 400 million (403 million) for the first time (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Strong growth for DAB to 25.9% (up 9.3%) and internet/apps to 6.8% (up 6.3%) (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Nearly half of all UK households (49%) now have a digital radio set (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Strong growth for DAB to 25.9% (up 9.3%) and internet/apps to 6.8% (up 6.3%) (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Digital listening in car grows 52%, to 16% of hours in-car (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Digital listening in London (ITV Region) has now overtaken analogue listening (46.8% vs. 46.2%) (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- BBC Radio 4 Extra reach grows 31% to become the number 1 digital-only station with 2.17 million listeners, overtaking BBC 6 Music (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Absolute 80s reach grows 36% to a new record 1.45 million listeners, the number 1 commercial digital-only station (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Analogue listening share reaches its lowest ever, at 54.3%, down 6.5% year on year (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- 64.9% of new cars came with DAB digital radio as standard, up from 50.7% in March 2014 (64.9% CAP/SMMT March 2015)
Second National DAB Multiplex - Digital Two
UK media regulator Ofcom accepted the Sound Digital consortium's bid to run the new Digital Two national commercial DAB network. The consortium is made up of Bauer Media Group, UTV Media and Arqiva (who own and run Digital One). The second national DAB digital radio multiplex will sit alongside the existing Digital One network, and all the local digital radio platforms that currently operate. Digital Two will feature an additional 10-15 new DAB stations with potentially up to 30% of the network using DAB+. Ofcom anticipates that the new stations would launch in early 2016. The launch of the new digital radio stations and the Digital Two network will significantly increase demand for DAB digital radios.
Ender's Analysis report: "Radio - set for a digital future?"
Drive to Digital: NOW Conference
On Friday 6 February the Drive to Digital: NOW conference was held with a series of announcements from Ed Vaizey MP, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy about digital radio policy and progress. The Minister outlined how the switchover criteria for coverage and listening could be achieved over the next 2 years. The Digital Radio UK press release is available to download here.
Download the presentations from Drive to Digital:NOW
03.06.2015
Digital Radio Switchover
The UK radio industry is committed to a digital future for radio and is working towards a Digital Radio Switchover. Click here to read the speech presented by Ed Vaizey, UK Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the EU, Brussels, 26th November 2014, at the conference: "Digital Audio Broadcasting: A sustainable future broadcasting model for Europe".
Government criteria for setting a date for digital radio switchover are:
- Digital listening share to reach 50% of all listening hours
- When local commercial and national DAB coverage reaches FM equivalence
The DCMS Digital Radio Action Plan has now been completed. Details can be found on the U.K Government website.
DIGITAL RADIO FACTS AND FIGURES:
- Q1 2015 saw a strong increase in digital listening share to almost 40% (39.6%) which means that share is up 8.2% year on year (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- A record 54% of the UK population listens to radio via a digital platform each week (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Digital listening hours top 400 million (403 million) for the first time (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Strong growth for DAB to 25.9% (up 9.3%) and internet/apps to 6.8% (up 6.3%) (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Nearly half of all UK households (49%) now have a digital radio set (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Strong growth for DAB to 25.9% (up 9.3%) and internet/apps to 6.8% (up 6.3%) (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Digital listening in car grows 52%, to 16% of hours in-car (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Digital listening in London (ITV Region) has now overtaken analogue listening (46.8% vs. 46.2%) (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- BBC Radio 4 Extra reach grows 31% to become the number 1 digital-only station with 2.17 million listeners, overtaking BBC 6 Music (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Absolute 80s reach grows 36% to a new record 1.45 million listeners, the number 1 commercial digital-only station (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- Analogue listening share reaches its lowest ever, at 54.3%, down 6.5% year on year (RAJAR Q1 2015)
- 64.9% of new cars came with DAB digital radio as standard, up from 50.7% in March 2014 (64.9% CAP/SMMT March 2015)
Second National DAB Multiplex - Digital Two
UK media regulator Ofcom accepted the Sound Digital consortium's bid to run the new Digital Two national commercial DAB network. The consortium is made up of Bauer Media Group, UTV Media and Arqiva (who own and run Digital One). The second national DAB digital radio multiplex will sit alongside the existing Digital One network, and all the local digital radio platforms that currently operate. Digital Two will feature an additional 10-15 new DAB stations with potentially up to 30% of the network using DAB+. Ofcom anticipates that the new stations would launch in early 2016. The launch of the new digital radio stations and the Digital Two network will significantly increase demand for DAB digital radios.
Ender's Analysis report: "Radio - set for a digital future?"
Drive to Digital: NOW Conference
On Friday 6 February the Drive to Digital: NOW conference was held with a series of announcements from Ed Vaizey MP, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy about digital radio policy and progress. The Minister outlined how the switchover criteria for coverage and listening could be achieved over the next 2 years. The DRUK press release is available to download here.