EXCERPTS FROM FULL BOOK The uncertainty in the data regarding ownership levels of DAB receivers is not surprising, given the evident level of consumer confusion. Firstly, many radios on the market have the words ‘digital’ or ‘digital radio’ written on them, meaning that they either incorporate a digital clock (for radio alarm clocks) or that they offer ‘digital’ tuning of analogue wavebands, despite them not offering DAB reception. Secondly, the majority of 'DAB radios' presently on sale in the UK offer DAB reception in combination with analogue radio and/or internet radio. When DAB radio receivers were first introduced a decade ago, all the models offered were DAB‐only. Nowadays, it is harder to find a DAB‐only model in shops. Earlier this year, I surveyed the radio hardware on sale from UK retailers (see chart below) and found that the most common DAB consumer proposition is now an ‘FM + DAB’ radio. NO. OF MODELS OF ELECTRONICS HARDWARE INCORPORATING RADIO PLATFORMS radio platforms Argos Currys FM and/or AM 113 48 FM + DAB 56 55 DAB 2 9 DAB + FM + internet 4 4 DAB + internet 1 0 internet 3 2 internet + FM 1 2 excludes in-car and mobile phone hardware web sites @ 10Feb2009
Comet 59 43 10 2 0 0 2 41
In its latest consumer research on take‐up of digital radio, Ofcom said that the result of its survey (see below) “highlights the continued lack of awareness among consumers of ways of accessing digital radio.”42 Consumers have low awareness of their ability to already access digital radio, and It appears that the words ‘digital radio’, ‘digital audio broadcasting’ and ‘DAB’ are not yet precisely understood. This uncertainty makes the results of market research about ownership levels of DAB radio hardware somewhat unreliable. Take-up of digital radio services (% adults 15+) [Ofcom]
100
90
87 83 80
79
60
40
39
36
39
32
20
0 2005 Q2
2006 Q2
2007 Q2
access to digital TV and/or internet
2008 Q2
claim ed ow nership of digital radio
43