Above (L-R): Ford Ennals, Managing Director of Digital Radio UK; Bryan Coombes, Client Management Director, Arqiva; Nigel Farage, Presenter, LBC; James Rea, Group Head of News, Global and Managing Editor, LBC
The event was hosted by media & entertainment group, Global, on the Rooftop Terrace of its London headquarters, and sponsored by communications infrastructure company, Arqiva.
Attendees heard that there are now digital audio devices in 20 million UK households including DAB digital radios and the expanding range of bluetooth, wireless and voice-controlled speakers and smart audio devices. Additionally digital radio is in 10 million cars on the road, equating to 30% of all cars in the UK, and nearly 90% of all new cars registered have digital radio fitted as standard.
This growth in availability has been matched by an expansion of national and local DAB coverage which is now available in over 90% of the UK due to the construction of an additional 435 digital transmitters by Arqiva , as part of a programme of work supported by Government and broadcasters.
As DAB has become more widely available so more DAB stations have launched, with most of the UK having access to over fifty DAB stations and with many major cities over seventy.As DAB has become more widely available so more DAB stations have launched, with most of the UK having access to over fifty DAB stations and with many major cities over seventy.
The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Minister of State for Digital, hailing the progress made by digital radio, said:
I am delighted to hear of the progress made by digital radio. Over the last few years we have seen a massive expansion in choice with a raft of new stations on DAB and many more online catering for every interest.
Part of the reason the radio industry is going from strength to strength is its innovative approach to the new digital technologies and this will make sure it continues to be a popular and much-loved medium.
The Digital Radio Summer Reception was hosted by Global. Global's LBC is a station seeing significant growth in digital listening. In the 12 months from Q1 2016 to Q1 2017, LBC increased digital hours by 52% with 56% of its listening on a digital platform [Source: Rajar Q1 2017]. Group Head of News, Global and Managing Editor, LBC, James Rea, said that LBC's growth has been supported by the station's agenda-setting news coverage alongside national distribution on the Digital One DAB commercial network.
James Rea, Group Head of News, Global and Managing Editor, LBC, said:
LBC is Britain's biggest commercial news talk radio station. We tackle the issues that matter to our 1.8 million listeners around the UK, achieving record share and hours at the last count. We introduced LBC across the UK three years ago and in that time our DAB listening has grown by nearly 80 per cent.
Bryan Coombes, Director, Terrestrial Broadcast, Arqiva, said:
Arqiva has been extremely busy over the last year building hundreds of additional national and local DAB transmitters across the UK to bring DAB digital radio into millions more homes and thousands of miles of the road network. We are proud of our role in delivering the infrastructure needed for a vibrant digital radio market and are delighted to be part of the celebrations to mark the great progress that has been made to date.
Ford Ennals, CEO, Digital Radio UK, said:
It's great to hear the Digital Minister Matt Hancock's support for the encouraging progress of digital radio and to mark the milestone that 20 million homes and 10 million cars now have access to digital radio. Our thanks to our sponsor Ariqiva and to Global for providing such a stunning setting, and allowing us to recognise and celebrate the progress we have made with our stakeholders.
Tags
dab
digital radio
Contact Us
Press and media enquiries
+44 (0) 7773 045480 /
+44 (0) 7583 017130
E: press.office@arqiva.com
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/08/2026
IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech
Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...
20/08/2026
Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club
Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...
20/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...
20/08/2026
Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026
Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R)
By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...
20/08/2026
How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image displays a student about to mix be...
20/08/2026
Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 19, 2026
0 Comments
Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...
19/08/2026
As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...
19/08/2026
A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...
19/08/2026
(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...
19/08/2026
Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts
The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...
19/08/2026
Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed
Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...
19/08/2026
Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo
Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...
19/08/2026
First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming
Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...
19/08/2026
World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...
19/08/2026
July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...
19/08/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...
19/08/2026
NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...
19/08/2026
Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...
19/08/2026
LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...
19/08/2026
Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 18, 2026
0 Comments
Filming endangered turtles required camera...
19/08/2026
Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...
19/08/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...
19/08/2026
Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows
EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...
19/08/2026
Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...
19/08/2026
Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...
19/08/2026
There's an early Christmas gift for Bookish fans, as UKTV confirms the re-commission of the hit U&alibi drama, created by and starring Mark Gatiss. Viewers ...
19/08/2026
Wednesday 19 August 2026
Sky gives sports fans the chance to watch multiple liv...
19/08/2026
On Saturday September 5 Katie Taylor will step into the ring for the fight of her life against Flora Pili in front of 80,000 fans in Croke Park. A legendary fig...
18/08/2026
SportStream 2026, a free three-day virtual event, will take place September 15-17. One registration provides access to all three days of live programming and on...
18/08/2026
BeckTV will introduce BeckFlow to the European market at IBC2026, demonstrated on the Providius stand (10.F53).
BeckFlow is a web-based schematic documentation...
18/08/2026
Boland Communications will introduce a SMPTE ST 2110 input option for its 4K monitors at IBC2026, along with a new 55-inch super-narrow bezel display for video ...
18/08/2026
Dolby Laboratories and the Seattle Seahawks have announced a partnership integrating Dolby OptiView into the Seahawks' live streaming coverage, making the S...
18/08/2026
For BMG Executive Producer of Sports Production, Graham Taylor, producing live s...
18/08/2026
TMRW Sports has appointed Rufus Hack as President of Golf, a newly created role in which he will lead the company's golf businesses including TGL presented ...
Above (L-R): Ford Ennals, Managing Director of Digital Radio UK; Bryan Coombes, Client Management Director, Arqiva; Nigel Farage, Presenter, LBC; James Rea, Group Head of News, Global and Managing Editor, LBC
