Digital radio industry jumps to defence of DAB

We reported earlier this week that the BBC hit back at the news that DAB was ‘doomed’ following GCap Media pulling the plug on theJazz and Planet Rock and its stake in national commercial digital radio multiplex operator Digital One.

"The truth is that the consumer is not voting with their feet as far as digital radio is concerned," said GCap Media boss Fru Hazlitt.

Jenny Abramsky, director of BBC Audio & Music, certainly doesn’t think so, telling TechRadar:

"The BBC remains fully committed to DAB and the other digital delivery platforms.” Ms. Abramsky also added: "It is important not to confuse GCap's current strategy with success or failure of DAB. DAB is a success story – two million sets were sold in 2007 – and is part of the digital future of radio. More than 22 per cent of UK adults now claim to have DAB at home and it makes up 10 per cent of all radio listening."

Does DAB have a future?

Over on ERT News today a number of other reps from the digital radio industry jumped to DAB's defence, with a rep from Arqiva, the company set to take over GCap's stake in Digital One, telling it: "DAB receiver sales have never been better and we have every confidence in the long-term future of digital radio."

4Digital Radio chairman Nathalie Schwarz added: "We are confident about the fugure of DAB as the linchpin for radio's digital future."

Digital radio manufacturers buoyant

Chief exec of Roberts Radio, Leslie Burrage said: "DAB is very alive and very well, thank you very much."

While over at one of the other main digital radio manufacturers, Pure, marketing director Colin Crawford described the GCap move as "something totally out of sync with the ongoing trend towards digital – a glitch".

Source: ERT Weekly