[cma-l] BBC annual report: Trust questions future of DAB radio (The Guardian, 8 July 2008)

[Jaqui Devereux]

Dear all

You may be interested in this!

BBC annual report: Trust questions future of DAB radio (The Guardian, 8 
July 2008)
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2008 22:17:33 +0300

Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jul/08/bbc.radio

Please note that the full BBC Annual report can be downloaded from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/
and the link to the Audio & Music section (including radio) is
http://www.bbc.co.uk/annualreport/exec/audio_music/services_aandm.shtml

All the best,

Jaqui

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BBC annual report: Trust questions future of DAB radio

    * Ben Dowell <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/bendowell>
    * guardian.co.uk <http://www.guardian.co.uk/>,
    * Tuesday July 8, 2008

The "long-term viability" of digital radio has today been questioned by
the BBC Trust, which said that all digital-only stations, including
those offered by the corporation, had "yet to make a breakthrough".
In the BBC's annual report for the year to the end of March, published
today, the trust said it "remains to be seen" whether the launch of the
second national commercial digital multiplex backed by Channel 4 later
this year "will boost the market sufficiently to ensure its longterm
viability".
"Although growing, reach and audience awareness [of digital audio
broadcasting] remain low. In November, the government launched the
Digital Radio Working Group to look at how to promote digital radio and
increase penetration," the BBC Trust added.
Public awareness of digital-only radio services such as BBC 6Music also
remains "low" according to the trust, with only 41% of the population
having heard of them, even when prompted.
"Concerns have grown about the future of DAB within the commercial radio
market," the BBC Trust warned.
In the annual report, concern was also expressed by the trust for the
audience levels of Radio 3 - which has a weekly reach of below 2 million
listeners - as well as for Radio 5 Live and the digital stations 6Music
and 1Xtra.
However, the trust noted that "BBC network radio stations continue to
perform strongly overall", reaching two-thirds of UK adults every week.
*/
The main findings of the annual report for BBC radio:/*
*
Good*
*·* Radio 1's reach and share have both grown in the past two years. The
trust noted that the station's "growing popularity" and "reputation as a
station for new, UK and live music remains strong". Radio 1 now reaches
just under 5 million 15 to 29 year olds per week, the report added.
*·* Radio 2 remains the most popular station in the UK, although the
trust noted that its reach has fallen very slightly this year. Praise
was also reserved for work done by Radio 2 to develop talent and the
station's role in developing new artists through its Music Club
Introduces? strand.
*·* Radio 4 has maintained its weekly reach, while share of listening
has increased slightly and the station attracts the highest average
listening hours of any BBC station, at just under 13 hours a week.
"Listeners continue to have a very high regard for the station", the
trust added.
*·* Despite falling audiences, Radio 3's level of approval has risen in
the last year.
*·* Archive speech and comedy station BBC7 remains the most popular BBC
digital service and is the third most listened to digital-only radio
offering in the UK.
*·* Podcasts have become very popular and "this does not appear to have
affected overall reach levels," according to the trust. "Indeed, there
is some early evidence that those who 'listen again' on the internet are
now listening to more live radio," it added.
*
Bad*
*·* Public awareness of the digital-only services remains "low"
according to the BBC Trust, with only 41% of the population having heard
of them, even when prompted.
*·* "Concerns have grown about the future of DAB within the commercial
radio market," the Trust warned.
*·* BBC 6Music and 1Xtra still attract only around half a million
listeners a week each.
*·* Radio 3's average reach and hours of listening "are all declining",
the annual report noted, adding that schedule changes made in 2007 have
not so far increased reach, which is at 1.9 million listeners per week.
The trust warned that it "will continue to track the service's
performance in light of these trends". But it also noted that the only
other classical music radio station in the UK, Classic FM "is also
facing declines in reach and share and this may be due to increased
listening to Radio 2 and Radio 4.
*·* Radio 5 Live's annual average reach has declined. Research also
indicates "a fall in the proportion of high approvers" for Radio 5 Live,
according to the trust, and the "service's reputation as the best for
sport has declined slightly".
*·* The trust noted that the station is successfully building a digital
listenership, but that it "remains to be seen" whether this will help
the station to stabilise its reach.
*·* Radio 5 Live's digital-only spin-off 5 Live Sports Extra "has the
ability to build high levels of reach but falls back when fewer hours
are broadcast", the trust reported


-- 
Jaqui Devereux

Director
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