[Community Radio] Digi radio sales overtake traditional sets

[Michelle McGuire]

Digi radio sales overtake traditional sets
Michael Rosser
  28 February 2005 10:33


Sales of digital radio have overtaken those of traditional sets for the 
first time, according to new figures.

In January, electrical goods chain Dixons saw digital sets outstrip 
sales of analogue radios by two to one. Demand is expected to rise by 
more than 50% over the next year.

Over the last three months, Dixons also found that two-thirds of 
shoppers currently buying digital radios from the chain are in their 
forties – dubbed the "twiddle-aged" by the chain.

There were 1.3 million digital radio sets in British homes at the end 
of 2004, due to major advertising from both the BBC and commercial 
sector and word of mouth.

As more listeners switch over to the easier to use sets, which have 
more channels and higher quality sound than the analogue equivalent, 
the Digital Radio Development Bureaux is predicting this figure will 
rise to 2.4 million by the end of this year and to 8.3 million in 2008.

The value of the digital radio market is also expected to rise from 
£87m last year to £493m in 2008.

Source:broadcastnow.co.uk