ABC Dig Digital radio recently conducted an online poll to see what people think of the service, the results show that the popularity of new media entertainment is growing steadily and is interesting for radio as a whole, as it moves to digital technology in January 2009.
dig began life as the ABC’s first internet radio station in November 2002. It has since broadened its access by being available through free-to-air digital television, Foxtel Digital services and it is part of the Digital Radio tests taking place in both Sydney and Melbourne.
dig is based on music, entertainment and cultural programming, catering for a 30+ audience. A music-only station, it crosses a broad range of styles, including: rock, pop, R&B, funk, blues, country, roots, world, folk, jazz and electronica – just to name a few. Online, dig provides a non-stop music stream and on-demand listening, as well as two speciality streams – dig JAZZ and dig COUNTRY. Within each stream the song, artist, album and label information is available on every track that is played, as it’s played.
dig is well known for its variety of music – with recent feature albums including: the collaboration between JJ Cale and Eric Clapton; American chanteuse Rickie Lee Jones; Sydney siders Dog Trumpet; the iconic Ry Cooder; the second album from Missy Higgins and Melbourne singer-songwriter Lisa Miller. What other Australian radio station gives listeners such variety of non-stop quality music?
Some of the key observations from the May 2007 survey include:
* 25% increase in dig users accessing the music channels through digital tv since June 2005
(free-to-air or selected digital pay-tv providers)
* 3% of online listeners access the channels through high-speed or broadband connections
* 14% increase in listeners returning to the website on an almost daily basis from June 2003
* 22% increase in people listening more than 6 hours per week since the first survey in June 2003
* 4% of listeners rated the music good to great
* dig currently attracts approximately 66% male listeners
* 60% of the dig audience is in the 40-54 age group.
Listeners said:
“A great mix of music that I would expect only from the ABC – excellent!”
“Dig has led me to purchase music from artists of which I’d never have heard otherwise”
“Keep up the excellent work, particularly the Australian new music content.”
Manager of ABC Digital Radio, Tony Walker told radioinfo
“The ABC is looking forward to providing the dig services on digital radio in January 2009, along with a range of other new services that we feel sure audiences will appreciate and support,”.