The DRDB (Digital Radio Development Bureau) produces a monthly news bulletin designed to keep all those in the DAB digital radio chain informed and updated on the latest developments in the industry.
Product News
New from TEAC and just in time for Christmas is the SR-L30DAB. A DAB/FM mains only kitchen radio, the new TEAC is a stereo tuner in varnished maple, with blue backlight that sells for around £159.99.
Retailer Confidence
Sales of DAB digital radios continue to grow as Christmas draws nearer. Leading retailers are reporting strong sales in kitchen and portable models, with hand-held personal radios also doing well.
While other retail sectors struggle this Christmas, DAB digital radio is being reported as one of the season’s success stories. Department store John Lewis says it is selling 250% more radios year-on-year. The Guardian says digital radios and iPods are this year’s big sellers, and in the Sunday Times the headline says "Digital radios top Christmas gift list.
Numbers have been increasing week-on-week since the end of November, and the DRDB is confident it will be able to report a cumulative penetration of at least 350,000 by the end of the year. This would represent a year-on-year increase of 159%.
DAB Marketing and Promotions
The Virgin Radio competition to win DAB radios which kicked off in early November (reported in the last newsletter) saw an unprecedented response. Nearly 30,000 people entered the competition via email or fax to win one of 600 DAB radios on offer.
At the same time, the DRDB (Digital Radio Development Bureau) launched an on-air campaign across 260 commercial radio stations delivering a hard drive-to-buy message. And in week three of the promotion, the BBC kicked off its own campaign promoting its portfolio of digital radio stations with the message “Make Time for Digital Radio.”
In a knock-on effect, retailers have seen sales of digital radios across the counter grow week-on-week since the promotion began. Stores such as Dixons, Currys, Comet and John Lewis are all reporting strong consumer interest in DAB digital radio this year.
Consumer Awareness
The big marketing noise in November and December has resulted in more consumers than ever seeking information about DAB digital radio.
The DRDB’s consumer website, www.digitalradio.com. saw a 35% increase in traffic in November - up from 183,000 page impressions in October to nearly 260,000 in November. And December is already beating November at 270,000 page impressions in the first two weeks alone. Average daily traffic has doubled.
Calls to the DRDB’s consumer help line (08707 747474) tripled in November, up from 736 in October to nearly 2,000 in November. The DRDB has received more than 11,000 calls to its helpline in the past 12 months. 20% of these calls were received in November alone.
And November also saw the highest ever level of press interest in DAB with over 270 articles printed - that’s an increase of 60% on November 2002.
Coverage news
Coverage and reception of DAB radio in the UK continues to improve.
Since the last newsletter, the BBC has added another four transmitters to its national network. This brings to 20 the number of new transmitters the BBC has launched since the summer.
Digital One, the national commercial multiplex operator, has also switched on two new transmitters, delivering new or improved coverage to nearly 1 million listeners.
In addition, Digital One has announced a series of power boosts around the country that will provide a more robust and reliable signal strength.
International News
AUSTRALIA
Digital radio came to Sydney, Australia this week when 11 stations, representing all commercial radio networks in the city, plus the public broadcasters, began DAB digital broadcasting as part of an 18-month industry wide pilot programme.
The chief executive of Commercial Radio Australia said "The start of digital broadcasting is a very exciting milestone for radio in Australia and is the biggest innovation since the introduction of FM radio in the 1970s."
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea is set to become the first country in the world to launch a national Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) platform, using the Eureka 147 standard.
The project to develop DMB receiver technology has the full support of the South Korean government which will invest around $41.5 million over the next five years in bringing mobile TV services to the country.
International companies such as Texas Instruments in the US and VDL in France, have announced they are making chips and systems for use in DMB, while manufacturers such as Samsung, Freesat and PersTel are developing receivers to handle this new technology.
SINGAPORE
MediaCorp Radio Singapore, along with its technology development partners, has demonstrated the integration of GPRS technology as the back-channel return path with DAB in an education application.
The project, dubbed Socrates, takes learning out of the classroom by providing students with an easy-to-use tool in field trips using MoWiG (Mobile Wireless Gateway) as an integrated DAB gateway, and notebook computers. Students and teachers can communicate in real-time using web chat with their notebook computers. Bulky information such as report documents or Jpg files, can be transmitted via DAB.
The project has been funded by the Media Development Authority of Singapore under the Digital Technology Development Fund.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
For the first time, DAB digital radio is on the agenda of the European Parliament’s Audiovisual Policy Group. The group regularly meets to discuss audiovisual issues of relevance to Europe and most discussions are centred on television and cinema.
Representatives from the BBC and WorldDAB, along with the Head of Engineering from Swedish Radio, showed the group that while digital radio via various platforms was already a reality in some European countries, in others it had reached a vulnerable place where the implementation of strong legislation, regulation and spectrum issues was crucial.
ENDS
December 23, 2003
The Digital Radio Development Bureau is funded and supported by BBC, Digital One, Emap Digital Radio, CE Digital, MXR, Capital Digital and Now-Digital. The DRDB's task is to ensure digital radio's wide accessibility and swift adoption in the UK with consistent and effective marketing.
Visit the DRDB's consumer web site www.digitalradionow.com, or our Business to Business site, www.drdb.org.
If you have any news you would like included in the next DRDB news bulletin, please email mandy@drdb.org
If you do not wish to receive future copies of this news bulletin please email mandy@drdb.org
Mandy Green
Press and Publicity Manager
DRDB
The Radiocentre
77 Shaftesbury Avenue
London W1D 5DU
020 7306 2636
07973 184995