UK Radio Listening Data - Q2 2016

Posted by: Mike-B on 12 August 2016

RAJAR have publish the latest UK radio listening trends,    http://www.rajar.co.uk/  

 Q1 2016Q2 2016Change
AM/FM55.90%54.70%-2.15%
DAB30.90%32.20%4.21%
DTV5.40%5.10%-5.56%
Online7.80%8.00%2.56%

Various Digital Others – Phone, Tablet etc. I've not included but if its added in with all the digital platforms it places that at 45.3%.     All digital platforms growth since 2010 using Q2 data  ......

Q2 2010Q2 2011Q2 2012Q2 2013Q2 2014Q2 2015Q2 2016
24.6%26.9%31.5%36.8%36.8%39.9%45.3%

No news on any action from the new Sec of State or the Minister for Digital Matt Hancock.  His responsibilities include broadband  plus the digital & media stuff,  I suspect the boss has set broadband as #1 on his "to do" list.    

Posted on: 12 August 2016 by ChrisH

Has there been any recent updates on the FM switch off do you know Mike?

Posted on: 12 August 2016 by Clive B
ChrisH posted:

Has there been any recent updates on the FM switch off do you know Mike?

I think we should all remain silent on that one for fear of raising it up the agenda. Fortunately, there must be a few more pressing issues just now for the government. 

Posted on: 12 August 2016 by Mike-B

Nothing that I've heard Chris,  & agree Clive.   I spoke to my radio industry insider last evening & he says it's been very quiet.  As I said in my initial post,  the new ministerial team are probably more focused on broadband (BT/OpenReach split & getting some go faster grease on the countrywide superfast installs)        As I see it there is still a way to go to achieve the milestones required before the switch off planning can begin:     the DAB transmitter install to achieve 95% area coverage is behind schedule, I understand it should be at that stage by year end.  Digital listening is at 45% & needs to be >50%. 

Posted on: 12 August 2016 by ChrisH

Thanks Mike. I guess the civil servants are going to be a bit busy at the moment with Brexit planning so it may help take the pressure off!

Posted on: 13 August 2016 by Simon-in-Suffolk

Yes there appears a lot in the melting pot.. However as someone who works in the 'industry', from my perspective there is huge amount more to OpenReach infrastructure than merely consumer broadband.although the latter is most visible and therefore probably the most 'political'. and I think a NetworkRail type model for access fibre and copper infrastructure assuming OpenReach was seperated will hugely damage the UK commercial network access infrastructure or at best slow the investment down hugely such that it falls into government election cycles... just look at west mainline electrification updates and HS2. When I compare infrastructure in the UK with DTAG in Germany and OBS in France which I work with on a weekly basis, on the whole the UK appears ahead on infrastructure reach and flexibility... The EU certainly doesn't appear level on regulated network access infrastructure. Of course in the UK there is always much more than can and should be done... but as the reach goes into the lower density areas the cost increases hugely .. but it all becomes a little hazy on how that is to be funded in a NetworkRail type model. 

A poster made the point about scientists/engineers vs politicians with radio.. in my experience this equally applies if not more so on 'first mile' infrastructure.