United Kingdom - Current situation - History
17.10.2012
Digital radio platform listening stands at 31.5% of radio listening hours (RAJAR Q2 2012) – up from 26.9% the year before. DAB maintains strong growth as the dominant digital platform representing 69% of all digital listening. DAB digital radio listening hours have reached 208 million, up 13% year on year. 21.8 million adults have access to a DAB digital radio (up 8% year on year) and according to GfK digital radio sales increased by +12% in the same quarter (Q2 2012) . Digital listening in cars has grown and now shows a weekly reach of 5 million people, compared with 4 million in Q2 2011.
The Digital Economy Act 2010 gave the Secretary of State the flexibility to set a date for digital radio switchover. The Government-Industry Digital Radio Action Plan, published in July 2010, sets out a detailed timetable and tasks to build momentum and prepare for the switchover to digital radio. Switchover will be consumer-led and specific criteria will have to be met before Government decides when it will take place.
Before a date can be set, two criteria need to be met: 50% of listening must be to digital platforms and digital coverage for national services must be comparable to FM and local DAB reaches 90% of the population and major roads.
A Memorandum of Understanding signed by Government, the BBC and commercial operators in 2012 establishes an agreement in principle to fund the build-out of local DAB to FM equivalences over the next five years, with a commitment to consider further funding if necessary. It confirms also the Government’s commitment to a decision on radio switchover in 2013.
30.01.2012
The Government-Industry Digital Radio Action Plan, published in July 2010, sets out a detailed timetable and tasks to build momentum and prepare for the switchover to digital radio. Switchover will be consumer-led and specific criteria will have to be met before Government decides when it will take place.
The Digital Economy Act 2010 gave the Secretary of State the flexibility to set a date for digital radio switchover.
Before a date can be set, two criteria need to be met:
- 50% of listening must be to digital platforms.
- Digital coverage for national services must be comparable to FM and local DAB reaches 90% of the population and major roads.
The Act also says that, in deciding whether or not to set a date, the Secretary of State must consider information supplied by Ofcom and the BBC; consultation must be held with radio licence holders, listeners’ representatives and others. Everyone who has a stake in UK radio: listeners, the BBC, commercial operators and the regulator will have an input into when switchover takes place.
Digital listening hours for Q3, 2011 reached 304 million hours, up 16%, from 262 million hours in Q3, 2010. 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.
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 (c.f. 18.3 million in Q3, 2010).
07.11.2011
The Government-Industry Digital Radio Action Plan, published in July 2010, sets out a detailed timetable and tasks to build momentum and prepare for the switchover to digital radio. Switchover will be consumer-led and specific criteria will have to be met before Government decides when it will take place.
The Digital Economy Act 2010 gave the Secretary of State the flexibility to set a date for digital radio switchover.
Before a date can be set, two criteria need to be met:
- 50% of listening must be to digital platforms.
- Digital coverage for national services must be comparable to FM and local DAB reaches 90% of the population and major roads.
The Act also says that, in deciding whether or not to set a date, the Secretary of State must consider information supplied by Ofcom and the BBC; consultation must be held with radio licence holders, listeners’ representatives and others. Everyone who has a stake in UK radio: listeners, the BBC, commercial operators and the regulator will have an input into when switchover takes place.
23 million people now listen to digital radio each week with digital reach across all platforms increasing by 12% year on year. The share of all radio listening to DAB is now at 18%, up from 17.2% quarter on quarter and from 15.3% in Q3 2010. Listening to DAB accounts for 73% of digital listening (excluding digital unspecified).
Ownership of DAB digital radios in the home is up 12% year on year, with almost two in five of the population (39.4%) or 20.5 million adults living in a household with a set.