Plans to launch new digital radio stations have been unveiled today. The stations would be available across the UK from spring next year.
The new radio stations are revealed in two competing bids to launch a second multiplex – the technical term for a group of digital radio stations. There is currently one national multiplex for commercial stations, with the other containing only BBC stations.
talkRADIO, talkSPORT 2 and talkBUSINESS would be three new digital stations from the company behind talkSPORT. Magic Mellow would offer melodic and relaxing music whilst British Muslim Radio proposes to broadcast Asian music and speech with some content dedicated to Islam.
The remaining stations which form part of the Sound Digital bid include radio stations already available digitally, such as Planet Rock, Absolute 80s, Jazz FM and Kisstory. The bid also mentions Virgin Radio as a station with pop and rock music. The Virgin Radio name disappeared from the UK several years ago when the station was renamed Absolute Radio.
The competing bid would offer new and lesser known services. Chris Country is currently an online country music station whilst The Wireless and Share Radio are only available in selected areas of the UK. Proposals for radio stations which focus on food, jazz and modern rock are also included. Fun Kids would mark a return to national radio of children’s programming after BBC7 was relaunched as BBC Radio 4 Extra in 2011.
Ireland’s most listened to radio station RTE Radio 1 is also included in the Listen2Digital bid. Expats have been able to listen to Radio 1 in many parts of the UK on Longwave, but the broadcaster indicated that this service would end soon. RTE Radio 1 is also available on Sky and Freesat.
New technology
Both bids would broadcast at least one station using the newer DAB+ standard. DAB+ is similar to DAB but has the potential to offer higher audio quality or an increased quantity of stations. It’s already used in many European countries, however there are concerns that owners of older radios won’t be able to receive new DAB+ stations.
Some radios could be updated to receive the new stations but the process is more complex than updating apps on a computer or smartphone.
Decision this year
Both bids have been submitted to media regulator Ofcom who are expected to announce a winner in the spring. The services would then be available on digital radio in the spring of 2016.