7DIG.L Regulatory News (7DIG)

1 Feb 2007 07:01

UBC Media Group PLC01 February 2007 1 February 2007 UBC Media Q4 RAJAR Results Classic Gold Digital delivers 13% increase in listening UBC Media Group plc (UBC.L), the digital radio broadcaster and programmeproducer, is pleased to report audience gains for both Classic Gold Digital andOneword Radio. In the latest Q4 RAJAR figures published today, the Classic Gold Digital networkof radio stations (CGDL) increased its weekly reach to 701,000 (Q3 2006:690,000), with listeners also demonstrating greater loyalty to the station asaverage hours of listening increased to 10.1 hours per week (Q3 2006: 9.5hours). As a result, total listening to the station has increased by 8% to 7.08million hours per week (Q3 2006: 6.56 million). CGDL's increase was greatest in areas where it is migrating existing audiencesfrom analogue medium wave transmitters to DAB digital radio. In these areas,total recorded listening has increased by 13%, with reach up by 5% and listenerloyalty up by 8%. The company expects this trend to continue as it introducesfurther initiatives to encourage migration. Oneword Radio, the national digital station owned jointly by UBC and Channel 4Television, has also shown strong increases in reach and total listening intoday's RAJAR results. The spoken word channel now reaches 138,000 listeners per week (Q3 2006:104,000), with 458,000 total hours of listening per week (Q3 2006: 395,000). Commenting on the RAJAR figures, Simon Cole, UBC Media Group CEO, said: "I'm hugely encouraged by these results for both CGDL and Oneword. The figuresillustrate the success of our long-term commitment to digital radio and ouroptimism about the future. For Classic Gold Digital to increase both itsaudience size and the loyalty of its listeners is a significant achievement, andfurther plans in the pipeline to enhance the station's popular mix of music andentertainment will continue to encourage growth. Oneword Radio is also goingfrom strength to strength, showing an impressive 16% increase in total listeningin the last three months alone." - ends - For further information, please contact: Jenny Donald, Finance Director, UBC Media Group plc: Tel: 020 7453 1600Katie Thompson, Portland: Tel: 020 7404 5344 About UBC Media Group UBC is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market. The Group is themarket leader in the supply of audio content and broadcast data software to theradio industry in the UK. In addition to the entertainment, traffic and traveland national news services provided to commercial radio, the Group is thelargest independent producer of radio programming for the BBC and the UK'sleading supplier of digital radio scrolling text and EPG software. The Groupalso has significant digital radio broadcasting interests including Classic GoldDigital, the nationally distributed classic hits format and a partnership withChannel 4 Television in national speech station Oneword. It is also part of theMXR Regional Multiplex consortium. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange