The Digital Radio Development Bureau, which promotes Eureka-147 digital broadcasting, is encouraged by figures that it says indicate a significant number of listeners to radio stations across digital platforms in the United Kingdom.
Three stations that appear on DAB digital radio multiplexes reported for the first time:
• London’s Kiss FM reported 961,000 digital listeners.
• Digital-only station Smash Hits reported 759,000.
• Oneword reported 50,000 digital listeners.
DRDB Chief Executive Ian Dickens stated, “Digital radio broadcasting in the UK is still in its infancy, and mass-market DAB products have only become readily available in the last few months. These first numbers from RAJAR demonstrate clearly that people are prepared to change their listening habits when they are offered something new.”
The DRBD reports 18.6% of the adult population ever listen to radio via the TV, and 61% of those people tune once a week. By the end of 2003, the DRDB estimates there will be 500,000 standalone digital radios in UK homes, rising to 1 million a year later.
