Digital Radio UK says digital radio listening in the U.K. now accounts for 36.8 percent of radio listening hours, according to numbers from RAJAR/Ipsos. In total, 28 million people now listen to radio via a digital platform each week, up from 24 million in Q2 2012. Over half (52.5 percent) of the country’s adults listen on a digital platform weekly.
This data shows the share of analog listening in the U.K. is at 58.6 percent of listening hours, including in-car. Among 15-24 year olds, total analog listening is at 48.7 percent, while digital stands at 47.9 percent.
DAB represents 24 percent of all radio listening hours, reaching 18.4 million U.K. adults weekly. DAB listening hours have reached 246 million, and 45.7 percent of the population now has a DAB digital radio. Futhermore, radio listening via online/apps has also overtaken DTV at 6 percent of listening hours.
Based on the current rate, digital listening is projected to be 40 percent by end of 2013, and 50 by the second half of 2015.
BBC 6 Music remains the leading digital-only station with a year on year increase in listeners of 30 percent, to 1.8 million, and Absolute 80s is now the leading commercial digital-only radio station with 1.2 million listeners.
“The continued growth in listening on digital platforms shows that radio is successfully adapting to rapidly evolving technological advances – and it’s particularly exciting to see the number of younger listeners coming to radio through mobile devices,” said Director of BBC Radio Helen Boaden.
