Digital radio specialists Celsus have welcomed the upcoming introduction of the new digital ‘tick mark’, announced at the recent Go Digital Conference in London.
The accreditation, which will be managed by Digital Radio UK, was part of the latest round of initiatives designed to move towards what Minister Ed Vaizey described as a ‘digital future’ for UK radio. A joint funding pledge between government, BBC and commercial radio to invest in local DAB coverage is set to bring DAB coverage to parity with FM within the next two years.
The consumer ‘tick mark’, to assist people looking for reliable DAB products and services, has been broadly welcomed by car makers, equipment manufacturers and government. It will start appearing later in 2014 on marketing material and compliant products. Approved in car DAB installers who have proven their competence by completing a recognised training programme, such as IMI’s “ATA DAB Radio Installation Technician”, will be permitted to advertise the ‘tick’ mark too to help win business in the fast-growing ‘conversion’ market.
Celsus Marketing Director, Mark Baker said: “Automotive was placed clearly into the spotlight at this year’s Go Digital Conference. It’s very clear that conversions of existing car radios to receive DAB stations are integral to reaching the listening thresholds needed to trigger the switchover.
“Our DABmotion products already meet the specified standards. This means we can use the ‘tick mark’ when it is launched to the public later this year. We will be able to offer fully compliant training solutions too. It’s essential that garages and mobile technicians wanting a slice of this market can access dependable products, training and support now.”
Automotive is now regarded as the key segment as all stakeholders seek to drive digital’s share of listening past the 50% threshold needed for a full switchover. Much progress has been made on new cars; SMMT’s December ’13 figures show 43.7% of UK cars sold were fitted with digital radio as standard. Shortly after the conference Renault also announced it will start fitting digital radio as standard during 2014.
However, the market for conversions of existing radios to receive DAB stations remains almost completely untapped. Both Halfords, who said they will stop selling analogue radios completely in 2014, and Kwik-Fit signalled they will be actively selling ‘conversions’ in the coming year. With some 30 million cars on UK roads, there’s plenty of business to go around! Recent improvements in DAB conversion kits, signal strength coverage and now the addition of the ‘tick mark’ mean customers can buy with confidence – don’t miss out.
Further information is available at www.dabmotion.co.uk or www.celsusice.co.uk
