The Sydney digital radio consortium has announced that Colmar Brunton, one of Australia’s largest research consultancies, will provide strategic research services for the project.

Colmar Brunton’s specialist Media Solutions team will track awareness and attitudes to digital radio, using its omnibus study, which covers 30 000 people a week.

Media Solutions will work with the Sydney radio consortium to develop key questions to go out to its NSW panel in two phases over the next 12-18 months.

The questions will give the industry quantitative data on awareness, general acceptance of the new technology, barriers to usage and attractiveness of specific features, such as scrolling news headlines and song titles.

Commercial Radio Australia CEO, Joan Warner, says: “we are very pleased Colmar Brunton has come on board as a key strategic partner in trialling and developing digital radio in Australia.

“Quantitative research into attitudes to digital radio, combined with information from our soon to be launched consumer display centres, and data through our structured listener panels, will provide valuable insights into how the industry should approach the introduction and rollout of this new technology.

“General awareness of digital radio is low among the general listening public, but Australians are well known for adopting new technology, and we expect interest and demand to grow as people become aware of its benefits.”

Digital Radio Broadcasting Australia (DRBA), a consortium of commercial and public radio broadcasters, is running an 18 month consumer trial of digital radio in Sydney. The industry will conduct qualitative research with around 100 people in the initial stages, who will be involved in specific and carefully structured digital radio test panels. People interested in participating on these panels can complete a registration form on: www.digitalradioaustralia.com.au