BBC and 4 Digital Group commit to DAB
February 13, 2008
BBC Radio and the 4 Digital Group have confirmed their commitment to develop digital radio in the UK, in the wake of G Cap abandoning its two DAB stations and condemning the whole platform as 'uneconomic.' The two parties said they intended to look at ways of encouraging more rapid consumer take-up of digital radio and developing the available technology to secure a successful future for DAB.
Signalling their joint commitment to continue to develop DAB, Jenny Abramsky, Director of BBC Audio & Music, and Nathalie Schwarz, Chair of 4 Digital Group, said “RAJAR’s figures last week showed that listening to digital radio grew for the fourth quarter running and that DAB listening has topped 100 million hours. The DRDB also reported a substantial increase in sales of DAB sets before Christmas and forecast that household penetration would grow to 30 per cent in 2008. It is clear to us that DAB has an exciting future in a fast converging UK media industry. The BBC and 4 Digital Group are committed to digital radio long term and both believe that working together, and with the rest of the radio industry, is vital if we are to secure the UK’s position in the forefront of digital radio development.”