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June a record month for digital radio
Praise for Radio Amnesty’s part in raising sales
Digital Radio UK, the body responsible for accelerating digital listening and paving the way for radio switchover, says figures compiled by industry analysts GfK show that more than 114,000 digital radios were sold in June 2010, producing a record for the month for the sector.
Major contributors, according to DRUK, were the “unprecedented schedule of digital content including World Cup coverage on BBC Radio 5 live, 5 live Sports Extra and TalkSport, Glastonbury coverage on BBC 6Music, and Isle of Wight festival coverage on Absolute Radio, together with the large scale cross-industry Radio Amnesty campaign.”
The Radio Amnesty, which ran from the end of May to the end of June 2010, offered consumers a discount on new digital radios upon trade-in of analogue models. Participating retailers and manufacturers reported sales increases in excess of 20% and the overall market rose by 17% during the campaign.
Reports from retailers have so far indicated that over 10,000 radios were traded in.
Ford Ennals, Chief Executive of Digital Radio UK, said the Radio Amnesty had been an “unqualified success” and DRUK is looking forward to it becoming an annual event in the retail calendar.
PURE’s Colin Crawford said his company recorded its strongest ever UK sales for June with volumes up by 20% year on year. He attributed the growth to the World Cup, Wimbledon and the Radio Amnesty. “June is traditionally a slow month so the uplift generated is very welcome. The success of the Amnesty proves that more and more people are tuning into digital in the UK.”
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