News

Radio Exe has launched an all speech radio station for Devon on DAB digital radio called Devoncast Radio. It features sport, talk, arts and culture, with podcasts produced in or about the county across much of the south of Devon, together with local news and what’s on guides. Station manager Brad Hardware says: “Audiences for podcasts are growing, and radio is an ideal way to reach a larger audience, especially people who don’t search out or download content. Devoncast Radio means people can now listen on digital radio, at home or in the car, and hear a broad range of content.”

Community station Radio Newark has extended its coverage towards Nottingham by joining the new small-scale DAB multiplex in the area. Radio Newark says its current FM footprint has a reach of around 60,000, and the DAB service will cover an area of over 750,000 people. Radio Newark Director of Operations Phil Johnson told RadioToday: “It’s a massive, massive difference in our potential reach, but we have to remember that we are still Radio Newark – we are not here to take on Nottingham. This is about making Radio Newark more available to Newark people, or to people who see themselves as having some connection to Newark.”

The local DAB+ pilot project Bad Kreuznach/Bingen (channel 12A) is now broadcasting with twice the range. On Saturday, 6 April, network and platform operator Milling Broadcast put the second transmitter site into operation. From the Fichtenkopf in Niederwald near Rüdesheim, Rheinhessen between Bacharach and Mainz and the Rheingau between Lorch and Wiesbaden are covered with a power of 500 watts. Previously, the ensemble was broadcast from Kuhberg near Bad Kreuznach, also with an output of 500 watts. The bouquet currently includes 11 programmes and a warning channel. The project is investigating more cost-effective ways of broadcasting digital terrestrial radio programmes using alternative technical approaches with open source software. The trial is limited until 2026.

West Hull FM 106.9FM is launching on DAB+ to a wider area around Hull and Beverley and has rebranded as Humber Wave Radio. Adey Wright, Managing Director of WHCR said: “Our service broadcasts 24 hours a day and touches more places than ever before. Our new digital radio platform increases this reach even further. We all know the future is digital, and we are excited to once again be pioneers in broadcasting the first truly local digital service to Hull, East Yorkshire, and North Lincolnshire as Humber Wave Radio.” Humber Wave Radio will be on Hull DAB from mid-April.

Nation Radio is to replace Sun FM on across Sunderland, County Durham and Darlington. Nation Radio North East will also be available on DAB in Newcastle + Gateshead, South Shields + Tynemouth, Darlington + Bishop Auckland, Middlesbrough + Redcar when it launches on 1st May. Nation’s Chairman Jason Bryant commented: “Strong, national brands are increasingly important in commercial radio. Nation Radio competes with and often beats other national brands in markets across the UK. Its roll out to the North East is an important moment in our development.”

Change is in the air for broadcast radio in the United Kingdom, with a slew of potential developments in the offing and likely to impact its future delivery, both in terms of licensing and regarding technical implementations. In what would be the first significant development in its portfolio of national services since as far back as 2002, the BBC is proposing introducing various new DAB services, using DAB+ at scale for the first time. Commenting on the plans, Lorna Clarke, director of BBC Music, stated that the corporation wants to provide more choices as listening habits change. “Our extensions for Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 3 will allow listeners to deep dive into more pop and classical genres and periods of music they love the most.” Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, the U.K. Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport is considering responses to its consultation on analog community radio licensing. This consultation follows the 2022 Digital Radio and Audio Review, which concluded that analog broadcasting should continue at least until 2030.

Bedford Radio has published a manifesto setting out its vision of local radio for Bedford, to mark their official launch on DAB digital radio. The manifesto sets out what makes Bedford Radio the distinctive local radio station for Bedford. Founder & Station Manager Martin Steers said: “As a team all our volunteers are passionate about Bedford, providing great entertainment to the town, informing people about what’s going on with community groups, events, & local businesses, and engaging our listeners into getting involved.” The station launched online in 2020 and joined DAB last week.

Muxnet UK is celebrating helping to launch the UK’s 50th Small Scale DAB multiplex in Shropshire on 11 March. The first Small Scale DAB multiplex went on air in December 2021, and there has been a steady pace of launches, reaching the 50th landmark in just over two years. The new DAB multiplexes have been licensed across the country, ranging from large city-based multiplexes bringing tens of new radio stations to listeners, to more rural multiplexes. The rate of licensing and build has exceeded the speed of previous licensing initiatives, meaning community and small stations can start their migration from analogue to digital at a time where RAJAR shows analogue listening decline is accelerating.

Tone Community Media Group, operator of ToneFM, is getting ready to launch a new small-scale DAB multiplex in the coming weeks. The station is now looking for anyone interested in being on the multiplex to get in touch. Group Director Patch Jobson is pleased that the group has now reached the point where applications can be made. "With this new addition to Taunton we’re really excited and looking forward to bringing a range of services to a great listener community. As a traditional market town, our listeners are still very much big radio fans, and if we can enhance that experience that can only be a good thing."

Angel Radio +1 has launched on DAB in Portsmouth offering a time-shifted version of the community radio service. The station, which recently celebrated 25 years since it first started broadcasting, believes it’s the first time-shifted terrestrial radio service in the UK. Tony Smith, founder of Angel Radio said: “Since its first RSL in 1999, Angel Radio has been leading the way on so many fronts, creating radio by and specifically for older people. In 2015 we launched one of the UK’s first, and most innovative, Small Scale DAB multiplexes. Today we are taking that innovation one step beyond, with Angel Radio +1. Our timeshifted broadcast allows listeners to catch their favourite show if they missed it, or even just listen again to their favourite song again an hour later.”