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Nation Broadcasting has announced it will be applying for four small scale DAB licences in Ofcom’s sixth round of licensing. They will be submitting applications for Ayr, Bournemouth, the Isle of Wight and Sunderland in time for the closing date of 5pm on Thursday 18th July 2024. The Bournemouth application is a venture between local FM broadcaster Nation and newly launched Bournemouth One. Roy Martin, co-founder of Bournemouth One said of the partnership: “Bournemouth One is already attracting a substantial audience online following our launch in January, and we can’t wait to bring this and extra services to DAB in the next year or so.”

In response to huge demand (and a few trolls), Radio Exe has taken advantage of half-Christmas – 25 June – to relaunch Radio ExeMas, non-stop Christmas songs whenever you want them. Radio Exe’s breakfast presenter Matt Rogers, never one to pass up an opportunity to don a Christmas jumper said: “For people who say Christmas seems to start earlier every year, they’re right! “We wanted to be at the top of Santa’s nice list by bringing festive cheer to Devon, and now people can get their fix of Mariah, Wizzard and Wham by tuning to Radio ExeMas. Feliz Navidad!” The festive station is on digital radio across much of Devon on the Exeter, Torbay/Teignbridge and Plymouth areas, as well as being streamed on its own website and on the Radio Exe app.

A new radio station using the name Atlantic 252 is set to launch on DAB. The station has a modern version of the original Atlantic 252 logo and will commence broadcasting at 8am on June 24th, 2024. Whilst the people behind the revival want to remain anonymous, the station voice-over will be Jim Merkel, who was the voice behind the original station. Atlantic 252 won’t be on 252 LW, but in certain areas of the North West on DAB, including Stockport, Bury, Bolton, Tameside, Rochdale and Oldham with plans to expand across the UK and Ireland as the year rolls on.

Cumbria.Digital has announced plans to apply for the small-scale DAB multiplex licence covering Carlisle and Penrith. The company plans to reserve capacity for six community stations, surpassing Ofcom’s minimum requirement of four, to better serve the diverse communities in Carlisle, Penrith, and the surrounding rural areas. “We are looking to provide a platform that gives communities and organizations a voice, opening up the power of radio to all and bringing greater choice to listeners in the area,” said a spokesperson for Cumbria.Digital. “We will support the existing community stations in Carlisle and Penrith, ensuring they have capacity on the multiplex if they wish alongside supporting new stations.”

With changes in audience habits and rising costs and energy bills, what does the future hold for community and local independent radio stations? Madu Ellis, director and acting CEO of Ujima Radio CIC, said their stations had struggled. Ujima Radio was founded in 2008 and was primarily given a licence to provide a platform to empower black people of African and Caribbean communities to become involved with radio. "Our main source of income is advertising. We target small upcoming black businesses. The cost of living - if it impacts them - it no doubt will impact on us," Mr Ellis said. Despite this, Mr Ellis said since their move to Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), their listener figures had increased.

Wight Digital Radio CIC has announced its intention to bid for the new DAB radio multiplex licence covering the Isle of Wight. The licence is currently being advertised by Ofcom in Round 6 with any new services likely to be on-air at the end of 2025 at the earliest. Wight Digital Radio is made up of Isle of Wight Radio and local community radio station Vectis Radio. The team at Wight Digital Radio says: “Our proposed service will have the capacity to bring more than twenty new and existing radio stations to DAB delivering a choice of creative content to vibrant and loyal radio audience on the Island.”

ExeDAB, which runs the existing Exeter digital service, is planning to apply for the East Devon small scale DAB licence. East Devon is in the next round of areas to be covered by small scale DAB and will cover a mainly rural area of around 136,000 adults. ExeDAB chair Dr David Treharne, who also leads Phonic FM, said: “These new digital networks increase listener choice in specific areas and allow new entrants to launch radio stations at a modest cost. In Exeter, it has enabled community stations like Phonic and South Devon Radio to extend their reach, something that was previously unaffordable. The recently launched speech station from Radio Exe, Devoncast Radio, is the county’s only non-stop speech service, and it is only because of small-scale DAB that a station like this has become possible.”

Eirewave, the station playing and showcasing the pop-rock music scene, has launched on DAB in Derry, Northern Ireland. Olivier Mauxion, owner of Eirewave, says: “While there are numerous radio stations in Derry that play pop, dance, and R&B, the pop-rock genre has historically played a pivotal role here.” Eirewave also plans to extend its reach in cities such as Bangor and Newry in Northern Ireland while continuing to develop micro-local programmes and music news for each city, and will be assembling dedicated teams for each new city.

Rutland and Stamford Sound is joining the local multiplex owned by Creativity Media Services Ltd. The radio station has been online since it launched after the rebranding of Rutland Sound to Greatest Hits Radio in 2020. The multiplex also now carries Embrace Radio and Massive Hits. Rob Persani, Station Manager, Rutland & Stamford Sound told RadioToday: "We’re excited for our listeners to try us on DAB, and to tell us how they get on. We know SSDAB is still a developing technology and we’re grateful to the team at Creativity Media Services for giving us the opportunity to reach our listeners this way, and to Ofcom for their support."

Applications are now welcome with Ofcom for Round Six of the small-scale DAB digital radio licensing process. There are 27 areas on the list, and four other areas (Swansea, Warminster, Wigan and and an amended Wetherby) will also be re-advertised after multiplexes failed to materialise in those areas. The closing date is 5pm on Thursday 18th July 2024. Ofcom is currently looking at the applications for Round 5 and the awards are expected soon.