On digital radio there are several ‘secondary’ services. These are like radio stations which only operate on a part-time basis, or come on air to provide alternative programming to the main service.
Sometimes BBC Radio 4 broadcasts different programming on its FM frequencies and long wave, such as The Daily Service and Yesterday in Parliament. Rather than use a DAB digital radio slot which is the same for most of the day the secondary service only ‘comes on’ when required.
Another example is BBC Radio 5 live sports extra which only broadcasts programmes during live sport events. However, you will still see BBC Radio 5 live sports extra in the list of stations at other times. This makes it easier to find whilst waiting for a commentary to start.
Tuning into secondary services
On some radios and hi-fi systems you’ll see a button marked ‘secondary’, and maybe an icon on the display to show that a secondary service is currently available. Pressing the button will switch the radio to that station.
Most portable radios don’t have a dedicated button and the secondary service can be selected by browsing the station list again. You may also see an icon, such as a flashing ‘SC’, to show that a secondary service is available.
Only DAB digital radio offers secondary services. On satellite and cable you’ll need to select BBC Radio 4 LW or BBC Radio 5 live sports extra.
Secondary services should not be confused with pop up radio stations. Secondary services normally only broadcast for a part of the day and sometimes have a fixed schedule. For example, Yesterday in Parliament can be found at the same time of day most of the year.
This contrasts with pop up radio stations which normally broadcast 24 hours per day for a set number of days for a particular event. Pop up radio stations can appear as an independent service, like BBC Radio 2 Eurovision, or by using the Pop Up Radio service in some parts of the UK.