Earlier this year it was reported that the future of digital radio was at risk in the UK unless sales of DAB sets picked up.

What!  As of January 2008, over 6.5 Million DAB radios had been sold. However, it appears that number is  not  high enough for broadcasters to recoup their costs  and we have not yet reached critical mass. And remember, DAB is not the only breed of digital radio..

Many of us fashionable types are still using that old dusty analogue radio. So why should I change over to a DAB set? Someone tell me what the point is?  Is it  really Dead And Buried?

>> Fast forward to October  2008 >>   



The Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB, UK DAB marketing and PR) published a sales forecasts for DAB sets in 2004, clearly being rather optimistic they forecast a staggering 13 million units would be sold by year end 2008.  They published another forecast 3 years later in 2007. A reality check must have kicked in at this point as that forecast shows the 2008 year end units sold at only 9 million, D’Oh!

These news stories can't be be good. Just after the biggest UK commercial broadcaster dumps DAB, Channel 4 follows suit, chopping “4 Radio” and “E4 Radio”. This will have a major impact. Plus, 4 national digital only stations have dropped off the airwaves - Oneword, Core, Life and theJazz . Where have they gone? Good to see that I've still got loads of choice on DAB!

Hang on though, what's this? Even with all that negative news, I've just read that listening figures are on the rise (but how do you really interpret rajar results?). According to the rajar  figures  for Q3, 11.3% of radio listening was through DAB, up from 8.6% Q3 2007, so it's not all bad!
 
Will DAB radios be here in 5 years time?  Well, with only a minority of European countries adopting the DAB platform, I would have to say no, or only as paperweights.  Add in smart phones, the internet and digital TV becoming more favoured platforms, the end for DAB may come sooner rather than later.

Will I be spending my hard earned cash with on a DAB radio? Not if it's one of those crappy retro looking sets and actually I am quite happy with my analogue radio. Plus I get to enjoy all my favourite shows on the internet (stop it, not those kind of shows).  Anyway, I  don't see a listen again service on the DAB sets yet, do you?