Digital radio sales and listening figures grow

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Digitalsound_image.jpgDigital radio sales and listening figures recorded another significant rise with 94,024 DAB+ digital radio devices sold in the first quarter of 2013[1], bringing the total number sold since the 2009 launch to 1,250,179, in addition listening figures from Survey 2, 2013 show 12.3% of people are now listening via a DAB+ device each week[2].

The first quarter sales figure for 2013 is up from Q1, 2012 when 88,004 digital radio devices were sold. The largest number of digital radios sold in one quarter was recorded in Q4 2012 and included the Christmas retail cycle when 153,189 devices were sold.

 

Official Nielsen radio survey results for metropolitan Survey 2, 2013, show that nearly 1.6 million people are listening to digital radio each week in the five state capitals, bringing DAB+ listening up to 12.3%. Time Spent Listening (TSL) to radio via a DAB+ digital radio device is double that of TSL to radio via the internet.

 

Says Joan Warner, Commercial Radio Australia chief executive officer: “The industry is very pleased with the continued growth and interest in digital radio.  We have our special Mother’s Day offer promotion currently on air which we hope will continue the growth in sales.”

 

The Mother’s Day radio campaign is on air across 42 commercial radio stations in the five digital radio metropolitan markets of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, and features a bonus offer of an Endota Spa massage voucher worth $60, when purchasing a selected digital radio from JB Hi-Fi.

 

In addition, the industry is running a nationwide digital radio regional awareness campaign which was launched in March and has so far resulted in thousands of people signing the petition to have digital radio rolled out to regional Australia.

 

Launched in March, the campaign urges listeners to register their support for digital radio expanding into regional Australia with local MPs, via a specially set-up website: www.wewantdigitalradio.com.au. The ad campaign continues to run on more than 200 regional radio stations throughout Australia, targeting the estimated 6.9 million Australians who listen to commercial radio in regional Australia each week.

 

Ford Australia now includes DAB+ in the new Kuga, joining nine other vehicle manufactures (Land Rover, Mercedes, Toyota, Lexus, BMW, Audi, Hino, Jaguar and Isuzu Trucks), including DAB+ in selected Australian vehicles.

 

Although not included in the Marketscope sales figures of digital radio devices, the vehicle manufacturers including digital radios report more than 14,000 vehicles have been sold in Australia with digital radios.

[1] GfK Markestcope Report Q1 2013.

[2] The Nielsen Company Radio Ratings, Survey #2, 2013  All People 10+. Mon-Sun 12:00 am to 12 am.