Pioneer and UK digital radio Company Pure are set to be one of the few digital radio vendors to launch an in car digital radio player, which will be marketed via Pioneers existing automotive distribution network of over 400 retailers.
Called the Pure Highway, the in car DAB + radio with FM tuner is already the #1 in car DAB+ radio in the UK however several road safety experts in Australia are concerned that the new device which also delivers scrolling text which a driver has to read is going to be “yet another distraction inside a vehicle” said a Federal Government official who is currently involved in a study of in car devices such as navigation, mobile phones with screens and iPod attach devices.
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At today’s launch, Pure executives claimed the existing Pioneer automotive network gives them an advantage over other digital radio brands such as Grundig, Bush and Revo, who are primarily selling through mass retailers such as Harvey Norman.
“The advantage we have with our Pure brand is that we already have an existing automotive retail network for Pioneers existing automotive range. This network is on top of the mass retailers who will be selling 10 other digital radio options into the home”. Said Pioneer Australia General Manager of Marketing Rob Thompson.
According to Commercial Radio Australia more than 40% of radio is listened to in a car with this rising to over 50% at a weekend.
The Pure Highway is powered from an in-car power socket and can be easily attached to your windscreen with a removable flexible mount according to Graeme Redman, the Managing Director of Pure Australia, who was pulled up by the CEO of Pure in the UK for claiming that the device “delivers CD quality sound”.
“It does not deliver CD quality sound because of the bit rate that the audio is transmitted at, but our customers often say that it sounds like CD quality audio” said Colin Crawford the MD of Pure UK who also claims that Australia is a “critical new market for Pure who hope to lift their export business to over 15% with the addition of Australia”.
