Listening drop for the big channels after transition to DAB

DAB.Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / Scanpix .

Listening drop for the big channels after transition to DAB

Thousands of listeners leave the big radio stations when they go from FM to DAB. It is as expected, says lead researcher.

 

Radio listening numbers from Kantar TNS show that the so-called FM shutdown has cost the big channels many listeners. The number of listeners who “visited” NRK P1 has fallen daily with 123,000 listeners or 8 percent – from 1,517 million to 1,394 million – from week 24 last year to the same week this year, VG writes. Meanwhile, the national channels have been moved from FM to DAB in several counties, but not in the populous metropolitan areas.

The transition from FM radios to digital listening requires much of the user. We see a decline in the regions where the FM network is switched off – just after the shutdown. But we also see that listeners come back eventually, says acting chief executive Ole Jan Larsen in NRK. He also points out that there are more channels to choose from on DAB and that it is therefore natural that the biggest channels lose out.

No reason to despair

Larsen is seconded by Knut-Arne Futsæter, research director for media in Kantar TNS. He does not think there is reason to despair over the decline in listener numbers, coverage and listening time for the biggest radio channels.

This is as expected, much because of the many niche channels that consume a larger portion of the pie.

The FM shutdown currently concerns the national channels only. About 200 local radio stations will continue to broadcast on the old network until 2021.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today