UK sees six-year low for digital radio sales

British flag canvasUK media regulator Ofcom found a 9.1% decline in digital audio broadcasting sets sold in the year ending in June. The annual digital radio report revealed that at 1.7 million sets, the past year had the lowest number sold since at least 2009.

The report also showed flat performance for digital radio’s share of all radio listening, holding steady at 36.8%. Its findings for the popularity of digital radio indicated that the UK listeners are scattered in their preferences. Although nearly half of UK adults claim to own a DAB set, the majority of respondents without one said they felt no need to make the purchase or noted that they were happy with their existing radio services. Ofcom also found that one fifth of adults with an Internet-enabled computer did not know that they could listen to the radio with it.

These findings demonstrate that UK listeners still need some education and information about digital radio. The Guardian reported that based on the Ofcom results, the radio industry is unlikely to switch over entirely to digital service in the immediate future.

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Anna Washenko