The number of UK digital radio listeners has gone up to 20 million a week, an increase of two million on this time last year, according to Rajar.
The latest figures from the audience research body also reveal that 50 per cent of all national commercial radio listening is now via digital platforms. In addition, more than a third of the UK population, a total of 18.2 million adults, say they now live in a house with a DAB radio.
The coalition government, like its predecessor, has confirmed it’s committed to digital radio switchover, but says the change cannot happen until at least half of all listening is done by digital sources, which translates as DAB radios or via the internet. Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey said the Government will work towards switchover in 2015, though he declined to confirm an exact date.
Ford Ennals, chief executive of Digital Radio UK, said: “With the launch of Smooth on digital radio, the launch of Radioplayer and significant increases in the number of new cars with digital radio as standard, we look forward to sustained digital growth in the second half of 2010.”