More home listeners switch on digital

Less than half of all radio listening at home is now on traditional analogue for the first time.

"We have reached a tipping point in the radio industry's unstoppable momentum to digital," claimed Ford Ennals, the chief executive of Digital Radio UK, a pan-industry body which wants the Government to set a date for the UK to switch over to digital and turn off analogue.

New figures from industry body Rajar show listening to analogue has fallen to 48.4 per cent of all listening in the home for the first time.

In contrast, digital listening on digital radio, known as DAB, and through online and apps has risen to 47.9 per cent in the home. The remainder is made up of listening via TV.

In a futher sign of change, digital-only radio statio BBC 6 Music, which features Jarvis Cocker, pictured, as a presenter, has overtaken BBC Radio 3 in listening hours with 15 per cent more than the classical music station.

The majority of all listening remains analogue because a large proportion of radio usage in the car is on analogue devices. The Government has promised to set a date for digital switchover later this year, with 2015 or 2016 a likely target when analogue can be turned off.