Elf Radio and Coles Radio have launched, with one in four people in Canberra listening to DAB+ each week.
The new stations launch ahead of trial services being switched to permanent services next year as the commercial radio industry rolls out digital radio to major regional areas.
“Canberra listeners have been enthusiastic adopters of digital radio and we expect more people to make the switch next year as more new stations launch and the industry and retailers start to promote the benefits of upgrading to digital radio,” said Joan Warner, CEO of Commercial Radio Australia.
Canberra listeners have had access to trial DAB+ digital radio services since 2010 and GfK data shows listening has steadily increased to 27% of the population, or 105,000 people each week. The reach of digital radio in Canberra is just behind the average metropolitan penetration of 28% in the five capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
There are now 10 commercial radio services broadcasting in digital in Canberra, including six digital-only stations. The latest is festive pop-up station Elf Radio, playing back to back Christmas songs.
Coles Radio, a contemporary music station featuring past favourites, is one of the top-rating commercial digital radio stations in Australia.
Listeners need to upgrade their AM/FM radios to a DAB+ radio to access the new services, with digital radio receivers available from $29.
In the five state capitals, 3.8 million Australians listen to DAB+ digital radio each week. There have been 1.14 million vehicles sold with DAB+, and 41 automotive brands support DAB+.
Digital radio trials in Canberra and Darwin have been a successful collaboration between commercial and public broadcasters and government agencies.
Commercial Radio Australia has been the trial licensee for Canberra and Darwin and applied for the licence renewal on behalf of the ABC, SBS and all commercial broadcasters when the trials began in 2010. ABC and SBS now move to a permanent multiplex and listeners will need to rescan their DAB+ radios on January 8 to pick up the new services.
Commercial radio stations will transition from trials to permanent digital radio services in Canberra and Darwin next year, with timing subject to regulatory processes.
Canberra commercial radio stations 2CA, 2CC, Mix 106.3 and 104.7 currently broadcast in digital, along with the digital-only stations My Canberra, KIX Country, Buddha Hits, The Edge, Coles Radio and Elf Radio, all adding to the choice of services available to local audiences.
In Darwin, Hot 100 and Mix 104.9 and digital-only services KIX Country, Classic Rock Digital and Radio TAB (which also broadcasts on 1242AM using a Narrowcast licence) are on offer on DAB+.