News

The number of people in the UK who have listened to the radio via the internet has increased by 2.5 million in six months, figures out today showed.And six million people have downloaded a podcast, with podcasting seen as having a positive effect on radio listening.Rajar (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd) released findings of its second surve. 

Orange is launching itself into the internet radio market in Britain as the mobile phone and residential broadband provider looks to get a larger slice of the home entertainment market.

From today Orange will be selling its Live Radio device, which connects to a home broadband line and allows consumers to listen to up to 4,000 internet radio stations. Recent figures from RAJAR showed that about eight million people in Britain listen to internet radio stations at least once a week.

So called Wi-Fi radio sets have been available for some time but Live Radio gives listeners the chance to buy tracks they like after hearing them on the radio as it connects with orange music store. Tracks bought online are instantly downloaded to both a user’s computer and their mobile phone. The radio can also play MP3 music files-although not tracks bought through iTunes-and podcasts.

“for us it’s a lot more than a radio” said François Mathieu, orange UK device director. “if it was just about being in the radio market you could argue that for an operator it may a bit of a distraction, but we really see this as a gateway to other services that we offer.”

Live Radio was launched last year in France and sold over 10,000 in the first few months.

As orange battles fierce competition in the mobile phone and residential broadband markets, it is considering offering the radio at a discount to customers willing to sign up to long term contracts.

Orange UK’s new boss, tom Alexander, is expected to reveal his plan for revitalisation the orange brand in Britain later this month with a major advertising push.