Over 17% of radio listening is digital

The proportion of the radio audience listening on digital platforms has continued its steady rise, mainly fuelled by DAB.

Digital platforms together accounted for 17.8% of the total listening hours during the first three months of the year, according to recent RAJAR figures. In December the figure was 16.6% and in September it was 15%. Recording of comparable figures only began last autumn.

DAB's share of total listening hours was 10.8%, up from 8.6% in September. The share on digital television platforms was 3.2% and the internet 2.1%. For 1.7% of hours an unspecified digital platform was used.

The weekly reach for digital platforms - the proportion of the audience who listen via digital at least once each week - was 31.4% in the first quarter. The figure was up from 28.4% in September and 29.9% in December.

DAB's reach was 17.9%, digital television 10.5%, internet 6.2% and unspecified digital 7%.

Ownership of DAB receivers was also up. More than 27% of adults said they had a set - a 40% rise from the first quarter of last year and 22% up on the end of 2007.

Both the BBC and commercial radio representatives welcomed today's figures, hailing them as a sign of the strength of DAB. The future of the platform has been questioned in recent months, as several digital-only stations were taken off the air and GCap announced plans to reduce its investment.

Jenny Abramsky, the BBC's outgoing director of audio and music, welcomed figures which showed 6.4m people listened to BBC programmes via DAB each week. "This is a remarkable performance for DAB, which is so important for the whole industry," she said.

Andrew Harrison, chief executive of commercial radio industry association RadioCentre, said digital uptake was strong, and was confident that talks between broadcasters, ministers and Ofcom would help DAB move forward.

"There has never really been a problem with DAB audience growth and set sales," he said. "The issue has always been, can we monetise it when we are paying for dual transmission. DAB is clearly the long-term broadcast platform for the medium."

Harrison said he expected to see a "solution" to DAB's current commercial problems emerge in the next two or three months.