DAB+ figures released in Australia
By James Cridland for media.info
Posted 12 August 2015, 6.00am edt
Australia has released the first, ever, public audience research into DAB+ radio listening in Australia's capital cities.
Australian DAB+ radio launched in 2009. (The UK is typically held to have properly launched in 1999). DAB+ coverage is available across selected capital cities in Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
In these areas, the GfK figures reveal that 24.1% of adults listen to DAB+ every week. (The figure in the UK is 37.8%).
73% of that listening is to simulcast radio stations that are also available on AM/FM; so just over a quarter is listening to brand new radio stations. In total, listeners tune in to DAB+ for 10 hours 15 minutes a week. (In the UK, the figure's 13.8).
The figures are compiled for Commercial Radio Australia, who also report on the most listened-to commercial DAB+-only stations.
Southern Cross Austereo is claiming to be leading the pack, running the most popular digital-only station in four out of five markets. Triple M Classic Rock, a brand-extension of the popular Triple M sport and rock station, is the most popular across Australia's DAB+ areas; the Triple M FM station in Adelaide is a classic rock format, so the alternative there on DAB+ is "Triple M Modern Rock", which unsurprisingly tops the charts there.
SCA's Digital Radio Content Director Jaime Chaux said "These first numbers see our digital stations off to a great start. Out plan here is to build a suite of stations that build new audiences and complement our two main brands. DAB+ listening continues to grow - especially in-car - so we're looking forward to seeing solid growth for the platform and our digital brands from here."
The CRA figures don't list public service DAB+ radio. The two public service broadcasters, the ABC and SBS, also run a bunch of digital-only radio stations.
The ABC's Double J, an older version of the popular top40/alternative Triple J format, is believed to be the ABC's best-performing digital-only station on DAB+, with ABC Grandstand, a part-time sports service with additional commentaries, also performing well.
The SBS runs a number of additional services, including pop music channels SBS PopAsia, SBS PopDesi, SBS PopAraby and SBS Chill.
DAB+ in Australia uses the updated DAB+ broadcast system. Most channels are carried in 48,64 or 80kbps AACplus format, in stereo. Broadcasters are allocated a chunk of bandwidth on the multiplex to divide up for themselves. Accordingly, unlike the UK, there are no new entrants on DAB+; stations are all from existing broadcasters.
There are now more than 45 extra DAB+ only stations on offer in the five metropolitan capitals, including targeted formats such as sport, talk and news, children’s programming, country, chillout and dance music and short term pop-up stations focused on events or particular seasons.
Sales of DAB+ devices have reached more than 1.9 million. Twenty seven vehicle manufacturers in Australia are now including DAB+ digital radio and 276,822 vehicles with DAB+ have been sold. With the addition of the number of vehicles sold with DAB+, it brings the total number of DAB+ devices in the market to over 2.2 million.
The figures above are based on the last three ratings surveys in Australia, from 8 March to 28 June. DAB+ is also available as a trial in Canberra and Darwin, but isn't included in the above figures.