MXR promotes digital guides

More than one million copies of the pocket-sized Essential Guide to Digital Radio will be handed out free in branches of Dixons, Comet, John Lewis and Currys.

The guide will list programme highlights, specialist shows and give station locators to help listeners find out what is available in their areas.

MXR's major shareholders include Chrysalis, Guardian Media Group, Gcap Media, UBC and Ford, but the guide will list all stations regardless of ownership.

Digital radio has been criticised by media buyers for a lack of marketing effort and investment in digital radio stations.

Around 1.7 million digital radio sets have been sold to date. Only 1% of new cars include digital radios.

MXR managing director Diane Wray said that pessimism about the industry's investment in marketing was unjustified.

This article was first published on Media Week