Digital dawns on the UK.

DAB take-up by a third of UK population and growing...

By Christopher Barrett

The interim Digital Britain report proposing that DAB radio coverage should be significantly extended could not have been better timed last week as it came on the same day the latest Rajars survey revealed that digital broadcasting is growing apace in the UK.

A key aspect of the Digital Britain paper is the Government's commitment to DAB becoming a primary distribution network for radio and the creation of a plan for digital migration of radio once 50% of radio listening is taking place via digital channels.

While there is still some way to go before that target is met, the latest Rajar survey covering Q4 2008 makes positive reading with digital listening hours up 10% year-on-year with almost a third of the UK's population, 32.2%, now listening digitally. Meanwhile, younger listeners are increasingly turning to mobile phones to tune in with Rajar revealing that listening on the devices among 15-24 year-olds rose by 39% year-on-year.

DAB ownership is also reported as being up by 35% on the previous year and its listening share was boosted 1.5% to 11.4%. In the final quarter of 2008, 29.7% of UK adults now claim to live in a household containing a DAB receiver.

Radio Centre chief executive Andrew Harrison is enthusiastic about the Government's commitment to digital broadcasting, noting, "We will rise to the challenge of providing a clear industry plan to `drive to digital' and remain convinced that this must include an extension of analogue and multiplex licences."