DRDB chief exec steps down

Ian Dickens, the chief executive of the Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB), is stepping down in the autumn after five years in the role. The DRDB is seeking a replacement to oversee its expansion.

The body is planning to bring in expertise from the telecoms, new technology and automotive sectors to help accelerate the growth of digital audio broadcasting (DAB). The DRDB says that it has identified the need to move DAB into a wider range of devices such as MP4 and docking stations.

It says: “This will enhance the appeal of radio and deliver richer radio content in more places for consumers, creating a much bigger total market for radio-enabled devices than has existed to date.”

The DRDB was launched in 2000, with the backing of all the major commercial radio groups and the BBC, to promote the development of DAB. The latest figures show that 5 million DAB digital radios have been sold in the UK, which it claims equates to 10 million listeners. According to radio audience measurement body Rajar, 18% of UK households have a DAB radio.