It was a big day for digital radio and perhaps an even bigger day for Graeme Redman, Managing Director of Pure Australasia Pty Ltd, whose decade long quest to launch Britain’s biggest selling brand of digital radios in Oz finally came to fruition. At times, admits Redman, he felt as if it were never going to happen.

As it turns out, he, along with the rest of us, are going to have to wait a few days longer before the official launch of digital broadcasting in Sydney. Already on-air in the other four major metros, the promised Monday start has been pushed back till sometime next week when Telstra gets its act together.

Never mind, the radios will be in store anyway backed by a huge advertising push for digital in general, across commercial stations.

With no distribution network of its own in Australia, PURE has partnered with Japanese giant, Pioneer Electronics, whose distribution arm is grateful for this addition to its product range following the parent company’s decision to drop its premium plasma screens from its product line up.

PURE’s most popular radios sport a retro style reminiscent of transistor radios, the must have technology of the1960s that sold like hot cakes. It was, therefore, oddly fitting that the launch be held at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

Everyone lucky enough to score an invite walked away with a PURE ONE Classic, “The Radio for Everyone.” Yet PURE’s CEO, Colin Crawford who flew out from England for the presentation, concedes that it is unlikely that everyone will buy one of his products. Not only will they compete with iPods, iPhones and computers but with Hi-Fi receivers.

Crawford welcomes the competition, confident that his range is well targeted to market segments not covered by the others.

PURE offers portable, bedside, home Hi Fi, as well as ‘out and about’ digital radio’s. PURE’s DAB+ range starts with an entry-level recommended retail price of $199 and advances up to the company’s $999 flagship AVANTI Flow, a high performance DAB+, FM, Wi-Fi radio with iPod dock.