[Community Radio] Radio adaptor enables listeners to go digital

[Michelle McGuire]

Radio adaptor enables listeners to go digital

Dominic Timms
Friday November 12, 2004

Digital radio stations will get a much needed boost this Christmas when 
the first digital adaptor for analogue hi-fis goes on sale this month.

The device will enable listeners to use their existing radio equipment 
to tune in to about 400 digital stations in addition to those on the AM 
or FM frequencies.

Dixons, which is selling the adapter for £59.95, predicts it will 
increase demand for digital radios, which this season are predicted to 
outsell conventional models for the first time since they were 
introduced four years ago.

"If you're looking to buy a new hi-fi this Christmas and you want to 
join the digital revolution, you're no longer limited to models with a 
built in digital function," said Dixons' marketing director, John 
Mewett.

The latest audience figures, released last month, showed digital radio 
listening is rising, although it still lags way behind analogue.

The BBC's digital radio stations - Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, Asian 
Network, 1Xtra, 6 Music and BBC7 - account for 1.7% of the BBC's total 
audience share.

Dixons says the adaptor will also work on DVD home theatre systems and 
on some computers.

  The Digital Radio Development Bureau last month predicted more than 1 
million digital radios would be in circulation by Christmas. It 
forecast there would be more than 13 million digital radios in the UK 
by 2008 if take-up continues at its current rate.

The projections suggest the spread of digital radio will almost mirror 
that of colour TV when it was introduced in the late 60s.

The radio body also predicts digital radio penetration will reach 29% 
in four years, up from its present level of just under 4%.

Source: http://media.guardian.co.uk/radio/story/0,12636,1349018,00.html


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