Jersey

Radio X and Gold Radio are now available on DAB+ digital radio in the Channel Islands. The two stations have gone live to an additional 160,000 potential listeners across Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm broadcasting in DAB+. It’s the first time either has been broadcast terrestrially in the Channel Islands. Both stations are owned by Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, which already broadcasts Heart, Smooth, Classic FM, LBC and Capital on DAB+ to the Channel Islands. The Channel Islands DAB multiplex is operated by Tindle Radio - owners of Channel 103 in Jersey and Guernsey’s Island FM - through its Bailiwick Broadcasting subsidiary. The addition of Radio X and Gold Radio brings the total number of stations broadcasting in DAB+ to the Channel Islands to 24. According to industry listening figures from RAJAR* more than 40% of all islanders in Jersey and Guernsey tune into DAB radio each week.

Classic FM and LBC are now available for first time on DAB Digital Radio across the Channel Islands. The two stations have gone live to an additional 160,000 potential listeners across Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm broadcasting in DAB+. It’s the first time either has been broadcast terrestrially in the Channel Islands. Both stations are owned by Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, which already broadcasts Heart, Smooth and Capital on DAB+ to the Channel Islands. The Channel Islands DAB multiplex is operated by Tindle Radio - owners of Channel 103 in Jersey and Guernsey’s Island FM - through its Bailiwick Broadcasting subsidiary. The addition of Classic FM and LBC brings the total number of stations broadcasting in DAB+ to the Channel Islands to 22. According to industry listening figures from RAJAR more than half of all islanders in Jersey and Guernsey tune into DAB radio each week.

From 1 February, you can tune in to Classic FM in the Channel Islands on DAB+. Classic FM says: "We are delighted to announce that Classic FM is now available to listeners in digital quality, in the Channel Islands. Local DAB digital radio comes via DAB digital transmitters, which first went live from Les Platons in Jersey and Les Touillets in Guernsey in 2021, bringing a much bigger range of radio listening. Classic FM is now available on DAB+ for listeners in Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Sark and Alderney."

Tindle’s local DAB multiplex in the Channel Islands has welcomed its 20th radio station. Boom Radio has gone live to an additional 160,000 potential listeners across Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney, broadcasting in DAB+. Boom is headed by radio industry veterans Phil Riley and David Lloyd and is aimed at baby boomers, the generation of people born between 1946 and 1964, and is the first radio station in the UK to specifically target this age demographic.

The DAB multiplex covering the Channel Islands has been acquired by Tindle CI Broadcasting from Nation Broadcasting. Tindle CI Broadcasting Pan-island Managing Director James Keen said: “In less than a year, DAB’s reach in the Channel Islands has grown by more than a third with one in three people now using the platform every week. “Nation Broadcasting has delivered a large and diverse selection of radio stations to people in Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney and we look forward to building on their early success in years to come.”

The Channel Islands has welcomed 22 radio stations, including many new services, broadcasting on a new DAB+ digital radio multiplex. Two transmitters on Jersey and Guernsey, around 14 miles (22 kilometers) west of the French coast, have been switched on, with a third on the tiny island of Alderney due on-air later this year. They bring more choice to a potential 130,000 listeners, from community radio services and among others, Nation Radio, Global, Wireless and the BBC.

Factum Radioscape completed installation of the ENMUXA DAB system in two days at Les Platons. The professional software provides straightforward and secure management for the multiplex, and the OBSERVA Monitoring allows the operator to supervise the transmitted signal on air. Factum Radioscape’s Sales Manager James Waterson, “With careful technical planning and co-operation with all parties involved in the launch, we have successfully delivered our DAB+ system to a new listenership who are delighted with the service.”

Digital Radio UK has launched an on-air campaign to support the launch of local DAB digital radio in the Channel Islands offering listeners guidance on DAB+ devices and retuning. The 40 second radio spot lets listeners know that they will need a DAB+ set to listen to all the stations now available via the new multiplex and prompts them to retune their digital radio set to listen to the new digital services for the first time.

Listeners of BBC Radio Jersey and BBC Radio Guernsey will be able to do so digitally, following the launch of a new network.

Ford Ennals, CEO, Digital Radio UK, said: “The launch of the Channel Islands digital radio network is great news for listeners as it brings over 20 further stations to the Channel Islands on DAB+ for the first time. Radio station brands such as Virgin Radio, Heart, Smooth, Capital and Nation are among the very best broadcasting in the UK, while local stations BBC Radio Jersey, BBC Radio Guernsey, Channel 103 and Island FM have their finger on the pulse of life on the Islands today. This is a great time for Islanders to buy a new digital radio or smart speaker to make sure they don’t miss a thing from the great new line up of stations now on air on digital radio in the Channel Islands.”