Australia’s DAB+ digital radio-only stations attracted a weekly audience of 2.35 million people in 2020, an increase of 15% from 2.04 million in 2019, according to the latest GfK data. The weekly audience for all DAB+ stations, including AM and FM stations simulcasting on DAB+, reached four million.
Commercial Radio Australia chief executive, officer Joan Warner said 11 commercial DAB+ stations ended the year with a national weekly audience above 100,000 listeners.
“DAB+ audiences have grown as a result of broadcasters enhancing their digital radio formats and car manufacturers continuing to add DAB+ radios to their vehicle ranges,” she said. “Car sales recovered strongly in the last two months of 2020 as consumers bought new vehicles for domestic road trips. This contributed to 700,000 new vehicles with DAB+ on the road during 2020,” Warner said.
GfK’s point of sales report estimated that consumers purchased 129,000 DAB+ receivers in 2020, bringing total DAB+ receiver sales to 2.8 million since the broadcasting technology was launched in Australia.
DAB+ is on air in the five major metro markets as well as Hobart, Darwin, Canberra and Mandurah. Commercial broadcasters on the Gold Coast are in the process of working with the Australian Communications and Media Authority to roll out DAB+ which is a more spectrum efficient technology than AM and FM, enabling radio networks to broadcast more stations.
Top-rating commercial DAB+ stations nationally include Coles Radio, ARN’s The 80s and The 90s, OldSkool Hits, Triple M Classic Rock, Smooth Relax, Edge Digital, Urban Hits, Triple M Country, 2CH and Buddha Hits.