DAB radio fitment on new cars sold in the UK car market has climbed from 4.4% in Q1 2010, to 61% currently, with 90% predicted for next year, according to SMMT figures released at a recent DAB broadcasting conference held in London.
SMMT said strong consumer demand for ‘tech’ was a significant support to strong recent new car sales, adding all prospective new governments (it’s election year in Britain) were supportive of DAB roll-out.
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With 25% of all radio listening done in cars, conversion of the existing vehicle parc is now a central priority, industry participants say. Presenter Suzi Perry will front a spring campaign to raise public awareness of the Tick Mark and DAB conversion products.
“The path to the digital roll-out is becoming much clearer,” said Mark Baker, Celsus Marketing Director (Celsus is a distributor of DAB conversion products for cars). “The foundation is the coverage targets, which look set to be reached this year. This is then likely to drive digital share of listening up past 50% in 2016 or 2017.
Once that 50% share is achieved, the formal phase-out of FM begins, Celsus says.
Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, confirmed at the conference that eight million more people will gain access to their favourite local stations in DAB, courtesy of 182 new transmitters, as local DAB coverage grows from 72% to 91% by 2016. This year, BBC stations will reach the 97% national population coverage target – bringing DAB to FM levels, it is claimed.
The conference also heard that figures for Q4 2014 saw digital listening reach a record 38% share, as AM and FM listening fell.
The move to the DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio standard in the UK alongside the phase-out of FM has been necessitated by the overcrowding of available frequencies on the FM waveband. However, the proposed move has stirred some controversy, with the timescale for the switchover being put back.
