On Wednesday April 1st, Heart North Wales will stop broadcasting on our Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool multiplex. We’re sad to see Heart go, and as a popular local service, we expect listeners to feel the same way.
It is always up to individual stations whether they join, or leave, a multiplex. As the multiplex operator we are keen to provide as many stations as possible and work with a variety of operators across all of our areas to find ways that work for them to broadcast on DAB. In the Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool area we’re pleased that there’s a variety of services from the local – Dee on DAB, Wirral Radio and Juice to the national – BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and Nation Radio.
Listeners will be able to keep listening to Heart North Wales by tuning to FM or listening online.
We are also pleased that on the same day, in another one of our areas, Surrey and South London, we’ll be adding an additional service to the line-up. Premier Gospel will be joining the multiplex playing a broad range of Christian Gospel music including specialist shows each evening.
Hi, since departure of Heart North Wales, would there be any chance that UNTIL a new station can be placed into that slot that the current stations could get a bitrate boost?
e.g. Wirral Radio from 80Kbps Mono to 112/128Kbps Stereo?
e.g. Nation Radio from 112Kbps Stereo to 128Kbps Stereo?
e.g. Juice Liverpool from 112Kbps Stereo to 128/160Kbps Stereo?
e.g. Dee On DAB from 112Kbps Stereo to 128Kbps Stereo?
It would not have to be permanently, just until a new tenant could be found for the empty slot that Heart North Wales has left?
If not would there be any slim possibility in that case squeezing on the great radio station called The Arror (Sky 0146 & DAB in London Only)(Owned by Global) on to the North-East Wales and West Cheshire either permanently or on a temporary basis again till the slot could be filled?
Thanks
Paul P from Liverpool
Hi Paul,
There are some regulatory rules in place about how we have to treat everyone fairly and unfortunately the bitrate changes you suggest might make us, unwittingly, fall foul of these. The same goes about adding stations on for free, if we did it for Global we’d have to do it for everyone! If you’re keen for The Arrow to join the line-up, the best thing to do is email Global and ask them. We’d love to have them on!
Matt.