Listeners in Cumbria and Morecambe Bay are waking up to a digital radio revolution this morning thanks to the launch of two new local DAB networks bringing local digital radio to the region for the first time and a huge expansion of radio listening choice. 

The new networks collectively carry 28 digital radio services including local FM favourites BBC Radio Cumbria, CFM, Heart North Lancashire & Cumbria and Smooth Radio Lake District broadcasting in DAB or DAB+ for the first time alongside a host of new and additional services.

The new DAB digital transmitters went live this morning from nine sites across the two networks, with one network, operated by Bauer Digital Radio Ltd, covering North and West Cumbria including Carlisle, Penrith, Workington, Whitehaven and Keswick; and a second network, operated by MuxCo Cumbria Ltd, covering South Cumbria and Morecambe Bay including Morecambe, Lancaster, Ulverston, Kendal and Windermere. 

Each network carries different services, apart from BBC Radio Cumbria which is available on both. Listeners are advised to confirm which stations are available where they live by checking their postcode at www.getdigitalradio.com and may need to retune their digital radio to receive the stations for the first time.

Some services will be broadcast in DAB+, an upgraded and more efficient version of DAB that enables a greater number of stations to be broadcast. To listen to these services listeners will need a DAB+ enabled digital radio.

Bauer’s Digital Radio Cumbria network has launched with five transmitters in North and West Cumbria carrying twenty services, including BBC Radio Cumbria and CFM, plus a number of national commercial stations previously unavailable in the area – Absolute Radio 80s, Absolute Radio 90s, Greatest Hits Radio, Planet Rock, Scala Radio and Jazz FM. Additionally, the network features further stations dedicated to a huge variety of musical genres, including Magic at the Musicals, KISS Dance, Absolute Classic Rock, Magic Chilled and Hits Radio Pride. 

MuxCo Cumbria has launched with four transmitters in South Cumbria and Morecambe Bay carrying eight services, including BBC Radio Cumbria, Heart North Lancashire and Cumbria, Smooth Radio Lake District, and Nation 80s, plus additional local services CandoFM a community radio station in Barrow; Bay Trust Radio, the hospital radio station for Lancaster, Morecambe and Kendal hospitals; Beyond Radio, a local station for North Lancashire; and Fun Kids, a station specially for children. 

The launch of the two new digital networks will be celebrated this morning at a special switch on event at Robert Ferguson School in Carlisle with the school’s children helping popular local presenters BBC Radio Cumbria’s Mike Zeller and CFM’s Robbie Dee countdown the moment of launch live on air.

Mark Elliott, Executive Editor of BBC Radio Cumbria said: “It’s great that BBC Radio Cumbria is coming to DAB digital radio. We know from audience research that many people choose to tune in via DAB and now they can hear our broadcasts in digital quality. We will broadcast in DAB+ which means listeners will need to check they have a DAB+ enabled radio but this will mean in poorer reception areas our signal will be more robust.”

Ben Cooper, Chief Content and Music Officer, Bauer Media Audio UK, said: “Today brings a new fantastic choice of radio stations from classical music to classic rock. You can now get better accessibility to your local station CFM, as well as now being able to hear Simon Mayo’s Drivetime show on Greatest Hits Radio or Lemar on Magic Soul.”

Ford Ennals, CEO, Digital Radio UK, said: “The launch of local digital radio across Cumbria and the Lake District is an important milestone and enables listeners to receive their favourite local stations such as BBC Radio Cumbria and CFM on DAB for the first time. This launch also brings a wealth of choice to listeners in Cumbria with a range of much-loved commercial stations alongside new digital stations available on DAB for the first time anywhere in the UK. Stations in different areas do vary, so to check which stations are available in any particular area listeners should check the postcode checker at getdigitalradio.com and make sure they retune their digital radio.”

Listeners in the Channel Islands are waking up to a digital radio revolution as local DAB digital radio is switched on for the very first time across Jersey and Guernsey.

The Islands’ DAB digital transmitters went live this weekend from Les Platons in Jersey and Les Touillets in Guernsey, broadcasting alongside the BBC’s existing national DAB transmitters, and bringing a huge expansion in radio listening choice.

Over 20 additional stations are now available across the Channel Islands, on what is now the busiest local multiplex in the British Isles. These include Heart, Capital, Smooth and Virgin, bringing famous voices such as Jamie Theakston & Amanda Holden, Roman Kemp and Chris Evans to the Islands via a free-to-air terrestrial broadcast platform; existing FM favourites BBC Radio Jersey and BBC Radio Guernsey, Channel 103 and Island FM; and additional new services from multiplex owner Nation Broadcasting, including the Islands’ only dedicated decades stations, Nation 70s, Nation 80s and Nation 90s.

The new DAB network will broadcast all services in DAB+, an upgraded and more efficient version of DAB that enables a greater number of stations to be broadcast, and is the first of its kind to launch fully in DAB+, delivering a greater range of choice with more services than any of the UK’s equivalent local multiplexes. To listen to the services via the new DAB+ network, Islanders will need a DAB+ enabled digital radio or for those services previously available on the Channel Islands, they can continue to listen by their existing means.

Listeners in Jersey, Guernsey, Herm, Sark and Alderney will receive the new network thanks to three new transmitters located in Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney covering 82% of the population and 93% of roads. Whilst the transmitters in Jersey and Guernsey have launched today, the Alderney transmitter will launch later in the year. Islanders can confirm that they are in coverage of the new network by checking their postcode at www.getdigitalradio.com and may need to retune their digital radios to receive the stations on DAB+ for the first time

Islanders will be able to enjoy new local services Soleil Radio, Bailiwick 1 and Bailiwick 2, in addition to their existing local favourites like BBC Radio Jersey, BBC Radio Guernsey, Channel 103 and Island FM, alongside some of the UK’s most popular commercial radio stations, including Heart, Capital, Nation Radio, Virgin Radio, Times Radio and talkSPORT.

Jason Bryant, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Channel Islands multiplex parent company, Nation Broadcasting, said: “Digital radio has always meant more choice and we’re delighted to be offering such a great line up of famous radio brands, existing local favourites and innovative new local services to the Channel Islands.”

Chris Burns, Head of Local BBC Radio, said: “For more than ten years the BBC has been broadcasting its national services on DAB to Channel Islands audiences, and we are delighted to be finally bringing BBC Radio Jersey and BBC Radio Guernsey in digital broadcast quality as well. We know how fantastically popular these services are and no doubt audiences will be delighted to have the choice of digital alongside FM.”

James Keen, Station Director, Tindle Radio, said: “We’re excited to bring the Channel Islands’ most popular stations Channel 103 and Island FM to digital radio. We know listeners love our music and the local news both services provide and now they can listen in digital quality. Plus we’re thrilled to be launching our new station Soleil Radio, the Channel Islands best place to relax. Favourite stations and new choices – it’s an exciting time for radio here in the Channel Islands!”

Capital Breakfast’s Roman Kemp, said: “We’re so excited to bring Capital to a new audience in the Channel Islands and welcome our new listeners on DAB! Listeners can expect shows jam packed with their favourite hits and exclusive interviews with the world’s biggest artists.”

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.”

We’re pleased that Ofcom have today, 18th December, announced that MuxCo Cumbria Ltd has been awarded the local digital radio multiplex licence for Morecambe Bay.

In the application we talk about launching the multiplex within twelve months of a successful award. We would hope to launch sooner, if possible, but this multiplex requires some new builds for our transmission partner, so we may have to use the full time.

Capacity has been allocated to accommodate existing local analogue services from launch – BBC Radio Cumbria, Heart and Smooth. Six other services were also part of our application: Bay Radio, CandoFM and Bay Trust Radio alongside Fun Kids Junior, Chris Country Radio and Capital.

Managing Director of MuxCo, Gregory Watson says: “We’re excited to bring local digital radio to the Morecambe Bay area and especially happy that the multiplex will combine local stations, community stations, popular digital services and new stations too”.

If you’re interested in joining the multiplex, please do get in touch.

As we develop our launch plans for the new multiplexes, if you are interested in providing a service on any multiplex, please let us know.

We have a MuxCo Service Provider Questionaire, which can be downloaded from this page.

The application process is:

1. All applicants must complete the attached questionnaire.
2. Only valid and completed application form will be assessed. Further information may be sought to assist in the evaluation of applications.
3. Applications which we wish to enter a contract with, will be contacted as to this fact and will be sent a draft contract.
4. Before entering into any contract, we will wish to seek confirmation of the following:

• Sight of a valid DSPS licence
• Confirmation of the applicant’s ability to pay the fees detailed in the contract. This would involve confirmation from a bank or financial adviser, and sight of a business plan.

Muxco Service Provider Questionnaire

Click here for more information about being service provider

Digital Economy Act
Summary of Radio Clauses

The Digital Economy Act entered Statute on 9th April

Like all legislation, the Act is incredibly complex, and like all radio legislation it is pretty impenetrable, not least because it does not simply set out a new framework, but instead amends three previous pieces of legislation to achieve its objectives (the 1990, 1996 and 2003 Acts).

Clause 30 – Digital Switchover
This clause sets the framework for digital radio switchover. It is an ‘empowering’ clause in that it allows the Secretary of State to set a date, but does not require one to be set, or
indicate when the date might be. The details of the clause are as follows:

• The Secretary of State may set a date for digital switchover. There may be different dates for different services.  This is good news: the power rests with the Secretary of State, not Ofcom, and there can be different dates for different services.
• Having set a date, the date may be withdrawn. An alternative date may then be set.
• When deciding what date to set, the SofS must have regard to a report submitted by Ofcom or the BBC. That report must consider current and future: provision of digital services, coverage and digital set ownership. It must also involve consultation with all sectors of the industry as well as wider stakeholders including groups representing listeners.
• Once the SofS has set a date, Ofcom must shorten the analogue licence of any service which will be part of the switchover process so that the licence end date is the same as the switchover date. At least two years notice must be given (unless the licence holder consents).

Clause 35 – Local radio multiplex services: frequency and licensed area
This clause is important as it gives Ofcom important flexibility to facilitate any changes that the industry might want to make to the local multiplex layer.

• Ofcom may change the frequency of a local multiplex licence and may reduce/extend its licensed area.
• However, it must first have received an application from the licence holder. The licence holder must have submitted a technical plan.
• Ofcom must consult before granting its approval, and may only consent to this if it does not unacceptably narrow the range of programmes available.

Clause 36 – Renewal of radio multiplex licences
This clause allows a further rollover for multiplex licences. It does so by setting a framework to allow a new piece of (secondary) legislation to be brought forward.

• The new piece of legislation may grant a rollover for a multiplex licence. It may also set out how long the roll-over is for, and other licence conditions.
• The powers to bring forward this piece of secondary legislation expire at the end of 2015.

Follow the progress of the Bill at services.parliament.uk/digitaleconomy