United Kingdom - Current situation - History

04.02.2019
Ofcom Digital Radio Reports

Ofcom has published the eighth annual Digital Radio Report on the progress of digital radio in the UK. The report provides an update on availability, take-up, listening patterns, and attitudes to digital radio, as originally requested by Government in 2010 as part of the Digital Radio Action Plan.

In the report, Ofcom highlights that there are now 337 services on DAB in the UK, and released the report on Twitter under the headline ‘digital radio continues to grow in popularity in the UK’. The full report can be read here.

Ofcom digital radio reports

Digital Radio Switchover

The UK radio industry is committed to a digital future for radio and is working towards a Digital Radio Switchover. 

Government criteria for setting a date for digital radio switchover are:

  • Digital listening share to reach 50% of all listening hours (criteria met Q1 2018)
  • When local commercial and national DAB coverage reaches FM equivalence (criteria met)

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:

  • Digital listening has increased year on year to 50.2% share, up from 48.7% in Q2 2017, boosted by the growing popularity of digital-only stations and strong growth to digital listening in car and in the workplace (RAJAR Q2 2018) 
  • The greatest amount of digital listening takes place on a DAB radio which now accounts for 36.3% of all listening and 72.3% of digital listening (RAJAR Q2 2018)
  • In car digital listening hours grew by 20% year on year and reached a new record share of 34.5%.
  • The CAP/SMMT data for Q4 2018 shows that 93.1% of new cars came with DAB as standard in Q4, up from 91.4% in Q3 and 88.8% in Q4 2017. 
  • 56.3% of commercial vehicles came with DAB as standard in Q4 2018, up from 54.5% in Q3 and 40% in Q4 2017. 

 

 

03.08.2018
Ofcom Digital Radio Reports

Ofcom has published the eighth annual Digital Radio Report on the progress of digital radio in the UK. The report provides an update on availability, take-up, listening patterns, and attitudes to digital radio, as originally requested by Government in 2010 as part of the Digital Radio Action Plan.

In the report, Ofcom highlights that there are now 337 services on DAB in the UK, and released the report on Twitter under the headline ‘digital radio continues to grow in popularity in the UK’. The full report can be read here.

Ofcom digital radio reports

Digital Radio Switchover

The UK radio industry is committed to a digital future for radio and is working towards a Digital Radio Switchover. 

Government criteria for setting a date for digital radio switchover are:

  • Digital listening share to reach 50% of all listening hours (criteria met Q1 2018)
  • When local commercial and national DAB coverage reaches FM equivalence (criteria met)

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:

  • Digital listening has increased year on year to 50.2% share, up from 48.7% in Q2 2017, boosted by the growing popularity of digital-only stations and strong growth to digital listening in car and in the workplace (RAJAR Q2 2018) 
  • The greatest amount of digital listening takes place on a DAB radio which now accounts for 36.3% of all listening and 72.3% of digital listening (RAJAR Q2 2018)
  • DAB is in over 11 million cars on the road, equating to 33% of all cars in the UK, and 92.4% of all new cars registered have DAB fitted as standard (CAP/SMMT Q2 2018).
  • In car digital listening hours grew by 20% year on year and reached a new record share of 34.5%, supported by over half a million new cars coming onto UK roads with DAB digital radio as standard in Q2 2018 alone (Q2 2018 CAP/SMMT).

 

27.06.2018
Ofcom Digital Radio Reports

Ofcom has published the eighth annual Digital Radio Report on the progress of digital radio in the UK. The report provides an update on availability, take-up, listening patterns, and attitudes to digital radio, as originally requested by Government in 2010 as part of the Digital Radio Action Plan.

In the report, Ofcom highlights that there are now 337 services on DAB in the UK, and released the report on Twitter under the headline ‘digital radio continues to grow in popularity in the UK’. The full report can be read here.

Ofcom digital radio reports

Digital Radio Switchover

The UK radio industry is committed to a digital future for radio and is working towards a Digital Radio Switchover. 

Government criteria for setting a date for digital radio switchover are:

  • Digital listening share to reach 50% of all listening hours (criteria met Q1 2018)
  • When local commercial and national DAB coverage reaches FM equivalence (criteria met)

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:

  • Digital listening is 50.9% (RAJAR Q1 2018) a percentage share growth of 7.8% compared to Q1 2017
  • The greatest amount of digital listening takes place on a DAB radio which now accounts for 36.8% of all listening and 72.2% of digital listening, with hourly growth of 8.9% year on year (RAJAR Q1 2018)
  • 63.7% of adults now have access to DAB digital radio at home (RAJAR Q1 2018)
  • DAB is in over 11 million cars on the road, equating to 33% of all cars in the UK, and 90% of all new cars registered have DAB fitted as standard (CAP/SMMT Q1 2018)