United Kingdom - Current situation - History
10.08.2010
On Thursday 8 April 2010 a new law, The Digital Economy Act, was passed which will ensure the smooth transition from analogue to digital radio. The Act includes six sections relating to radio which will allow a date for switchover to be set, grant licence renewals to local and national analogue stations also broadcasting on digital to facilitate investment in digital radio, gives Government the power to withdraw those renewals, gives greater operational freedom for local Commercial Radio stations, gives Ofcom, the UK regulator, the flexibility to re-plan local multiplex licences and extend the coverage area of Digital One, the national commercial multiplex and allows a new piece of (secondary) legislation to be brought forward to extend multiplex licences. The Act gives broadcasters, manufacturers and listeners a clear roadmap for the future of digital radio in the UK.
20 million people now tune in to digital radio each week, an increase of two million from last year, according to the latest RAJAR figures released. Weekly reach has increased by 11% year on year from 18 million to 20 million, and now 43% of all radio listeners are listening to digital every week. DAB listening now accounts for 15.8% of all radio listening, an increase of 20% year on year (up from 13.1% of all listening from last year and up from 15.1% in the last quarter). The proportion of adults claiming to own a DAB set at home has increased by 7.6% year on year, with over one third of the population or 18.2 million adults (aged 15+) now claiming to live in a household with a DAB receiver.
15.04.2010
On Thursday 8 April 2010 a new law, The Digital Economy Act, was passed which will ensure the smooth transition from analogue to digital radio. The Act includes six sections relating to radio which will allow a date for switchover to be set, grant licence renewals to local and national analogue stations also broadcasting on digital to facilitate investment in digital radio, gives Government the power to withdraw those renewals, gives greater operational freedom for local Commercial Radio stations, gives Ofcom, the UK regulator, the flexibility to re-plan local multiplex licences and extend the coverage area of Digital One, the national commercial multiplex and allows a new piece of (secondary) legislation to be brought forward to extend multiplex licences. The Act gives broadcasters, manufacturers and listeners a clear roadmap for the future of digital radio in the UK.
Sales of digital radio in the UK have now reached 10 million and DAB’s share of listening has increased to 13.7% from 11.4% a year ago, and from 13.3% in the first 3 months of 2010 months. The number of adults living in a household with a DAB receiver has increased by 13% or 2 million year on year to 17.1m from 15.1m, and by half a million in the past 3 months from 16.6m in Q3 2009.
03.09.2008
The UK has recently announced 7 million sets sold and despite a difficult economic climate, DAB sales are currently running slightly ahead of forecast. Latest research data (RAJAR Q2 08) shows that 27.3% of adults (15+) own a DAB receiver and this results in the medium recording a 10.8% share of all radio listening.
The radio industry, alongside manufacturers, retailers, legislators, the car industry and chip makers, has been working with the government's Digital Radio Working Group to identify and overcome barriers to further growth of the UK DAB market. Much progress has been made and, by the end of 2008, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport is expected to give a statement on a clear route forward for DAB in particular and digital radio in general.
The UK regulator, Ofcom, awarded a second national DAB digital radio multiplex in July 2007 to the 4 Digital Group Limited. Shareholders in this group include Channel 4, Sky News, Bauer Radio, UTV, The Carphone Warehouse and UBC. This multiplex licence will allow the 4 Digital Group to broadcast a radio and multimedia service. No launch date has yet been announced.
Slideshow, "DABverts", the first DAB chip in a mobile phone, docking stations with DAB, and the greater inclusion of DAB in MP3 players have all contributed to the success of DAB digital radio in the UK.