We’re pleased to announce that Yorkshire Coast Radio will be joining our North Yorkshire multiplex in February.
Test transmissions are about to start in preparation for their formal launch on Tuesday 17th February at 8.45am.
Local broadcasters Harry Gration from BBC Look North and Christine Talbot from ITV Yorkshire, together with Katherine Dow Blyton who plays the part of Harriet Finch in Emmerdale, gave a big boost to nearly 700,000 radio listeners in York, Harrogate and across North Yorkshire when they pressed a big green switch, switching-on four new digital radio transmitters. The switch-on means that 81% of listeners in North Yorkshire will be able to receive their favourite local radio stations – BBC Radio York, Stray FM, and Minster FM – on DAB digital radio in time for Christmas.
The big switch-on took place at The Racecourse in York. The four new transmitters launching at Bilsdale, Acklam Wold, Harrogate and Olivers Mount will bring DAB digital radio coverage for local stations from zero to over 81% of the population in the area – around 700,000 people – and they will add over 935km of roads into local DAB coverage for the first time.
Almost 60% of homes (57.9%) in North Yorkshire have a DAB digital radio, and nearly 40% of radio listening hours are to digital platforms (38.5%). Until now listeners in North Yorkshire haven’t been able to receive any of their great local stations.
To receive the local North Yorkshire stations on DAB listeners with digital radios may have to retune their sets. Find out more at getdigitalradio.com/retune.
The switch-on comes in the run up to Christmas when 40% of radios are sold and coincides with a new digital radio advertising campaign featuring presenter and tech guru Suzi Perry which is running on BBC radio and commercial radio stations. The ads say that digital radios make perfect Christmas gifts and are available from only £30.
The new transmitters are part of an industry and Government programme of work that aims to expand the coverage and listening to DAB digital radio. National BBC DAB coverage has been increased to 95% of the population and the Government, BBC and commercial radio has agreed plans to build a further 200 local DAB transmitters to extend local DAB coverage to more than 90% of the population. This will make DAB available to an additional eight million listeners across the UK and add over 6,700 km of roads into coverage.
A cumulative total of over 20 million DAB digital radio sets have been sold to date in the UK. Digital radio is very popular in cars and almost 60% of new cars (58%) now come fitted with digital radio as standard (CAP/SMMT July 2014).
Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy said: “I welcome today’s big switch-on in York and wish BBC Radio York, Stray FM and Minster FM great success on DAB. The future of radio is digital and this is part of a major expansion of DAB digital radio coverage across the UK.”
Ford Ennals, CEO Digital Radio UK said: “This is a big day for radio and for North Yorkshire. From today over 600,000 listeners will be able to receive their favourite local stations on DAB for the first time. ”
Sanjiv Buttoo, Managing Editor of BBC Radio York said: “We’re very excited that a digital switch- on for North Yorkshire is finally taking place. Our audience tell us they’ve been waiting to hear us on DAB for some time and it will be another way of being able to listen to North Yorkshire’s only county wide station. BBC Radio York offers a rich variety of news, sport, music and personality – with programmes hosted by established presenters – which we know will be enhanced by this new service”.
Bridget Davies, Managing Director of Minster FM, said: “We are delighted that Minster FM will be available on DAB for the first time. We know that many of our listeners have been looking forward to this and we hope that new listeners will discover Minster on DAB, and hear more of what has made Minster FM so successful in North Yorkshire for over 20 years.”
Sarah Barry, Managing Director of Stray FM, said: “Stray FM epitomises what true local radio is about so we’re delighted to offer our listeners in the Harrogate District another platform to listen to us on. We plan to offer a slightly different service on DAB which will enable us to deliver even more local content to both existing and new listeners alike. The Stray FM team are incredibly excited about the future and plans are well underway now. More details will be announced in the New Year but if you can’t wait until then, contact me now at [email protected]”
Coverage
Photos
(Courtesy of RadioToday/Vinnie Lo)
Earlier today (Friday 12th December) at Galeri Caernarfon, entertainer and actor Martyn Geraint and Welsh actor and singer-songwriter Bryn Fôn gave a boost to radio listeners in North West Wales when they pressed a big green switch, switching on two new digital transmitters.
Broadcasters switched on two new DAB digital radio transmitters, giving over 100,000 listeners local and national stations on DAB in the North West Wales area for the first time. The switch-on means listeners will be able to receive digital versions of four radio stations – BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Wales, Capital and Smooth, and two additional stations, Nation Radio and Nation Hits!, will be available for the first time in the area only on DAB digital radio.
To receive the new services, listeners with digital radios may have to retune their sets. Find out more at getdigitalradio.com/retune.
The big switch-on took place at Galeri in Caernarfon, with the two new transmitters launching at Arfon (Nebo) and Conwy. Now these transmitters are switched on, local DAB digital radio coverage for these stations will initially go to 30% of the population in the licence area. This switch-on will signal the start of a wider plan to build additional transmitters in North West Wales by mid-2016, bringing local DAB coverage to almost 70% of the population.
The switch-on comes in the run up to Christmas when 40% of radios are sold, and coincides with a new digital radio marketing campaign featuring presenter and tech guru Suzi Perry, which is running on BBC radio and commercial radio stations. The ads say that digital radios make perfect Christmas gifts and are available from only £30.
In North Wales 49% of the population has access to a DAB digital radio. From 23 June to 14 September this year, 34% of radio listening hours were to digital platforms. This launch will mean that, since 2013, new DAB transmitters have brought local DAB coverage to around 1 million additional people in Wales for the first time, taking local DAB coverage in Wales to 72%. The next phase of coverage build-out will take local DAB coverage towards FM equivalence.
Across the UK, new transmitters have brought local DAB coverage to over five million people for the first time, taking local DAB population coverage from 66% to 73%. By the end of 2016, a further 200 local DAB transmitters are planned making DAB available to an additional eight million listeners across the UK. This will extend coverage to more than 90% of the population and add over 6,700 km of roads into coverage.
Coverage of the BBC’s UK-national DAB service in Wales is currently 85.8%. This will increase as part of the BBC’s buildout of 162 new digital radio transmitters to improve DAB coverage for its UK national network of stations from 95% to 97%.
A cumulative total of over 20 million digital radio sets have been sold to date in the UK and 58% of new cars now come fitted with digital radio as standard (CAP/SMMT September 2014).
Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy said: “I welcome today’s big switch-on in North West Wales and wish BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Wales, Capital, Smooth, Nation Radio and Nation Hits! great success on DAB. The future of radio is digital and this is part of a major expansion of DAB digital radio coverage across the UK.”
Laurence Harrison, Director of Digital Radio UK, said: “This is a big day for radio and for North West Wales. From today 100,000 listeners will be able to receive their favourite local and national stations on DAB for the first time.”
Steve Austins, Editor of BBC Radio Wales said: “We’re pleased that Radio Wales will now be available to some areas of north-west Wales on DAB. We’re keen that as many people can hear our service as possible, so this is a positive step forward.”
Betsan Powys, Editor of BBC Radio Cymru said: “This is good news for listeners who will now be able to listen to Radio Cymru on DAB in the areas served, and clearly a step in the right direction in this part of Wales. DAB is an important listening option and we know that our listeners appreciate the choice of listening to Wales’ national Welsh-language radio station on as many platforms as possible.”
Mel Booth, Managing Director of Global Wales, said: “We’re excited to bring Capital and Smooth to digital radio in North West Wales. We know our listeners love the great music we play, and now they can listen in digital quality.”
Jason Bryant, Executive Chairman of Nation Radio and Nation Hits! said: “We are pleased to bring both Nation Radio and its sister station Nation Hits! to listeners in North West Wales. Each service adds real music variety and additional choice for listeners and, with both stations growing fast, we are proud to be the only commercial stations available on the DAB digital radio platform right across Wales.”
[Cymraeg]
Ddydd Gwener 12 Rhagfyr yn Galeri, Caernarfon, rhoddodd y diddanwr a’r actor Martyn Geraint a’r actor a’r canwr-gyfansoddwr Bryn Fôn hwb mawr i wrandawyr radio yng Ngogledd Orllewin Cymru wrth iddynt bwyso botwm mawr gwyrdd i lansio dau drosglwyddydd digidol newydd (llun uchod).
Lansiwyd dau drosglwyddydd radio digidol DAB newydd gan y darlledwyr, gan roi gorsafoedd lleol a chenedlaethol ar DAB yn ardal Gogledd Orllewin Cymru i dros 100,000 o wrandawyr am y tro cyntaf. Mae’r lansiad yn golygu y bydd gwrandawyr yn gallu derbyn fersiynau digidol o bedair gorsaf radio – BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Wales, Capital a Smooth, a dwy orsaf ychwanegol – Nation Radio a Nation Hits! – a fydd ar gael am y tro cyntaf yn yr ardal yn unig ar radio digidol DAB. Mae’r lansiad hefyd yn arwydd o ddechrau cynllun ehangach i adeiladu trosglwyddyddion ychwanegol erbyn canol 2016, gan ddod â gwasanaeth DAB lleol i bron 70% o’r boblogaeth yn yr ardal.
I dderbyn y gwasanaethau newydd, mae’n bosibl y bydd yn rhaid i wrandawyr ail-diwnio eu setiau radio digidol. Cewch wybod mwy ar getdigitalradio.com/retune.
Cynhaliwyd y lansiad mawr yn Galeri yng Nghaernarfon, gyda’r ddau drosglwyddydd newydd yn Arfon (“Nebo”) a Chonwy. Bellach bydd gwasanaeth radio digidol DAB lleol ar gyfer y gorsafoedd hyn yn cyrraedd 30% o’r boblogaeth yn yr ardal drwydded yn y lle cyntaf. Mae’r lansiad yn dechrau cynllun ehangach i adeiladu trosglwyddyddion ychwanegol yng Ngogledd Orllewin Cymru erbyn canol 2016, fydd yn dod â gwasanaeth DAB lleol i bron i 70% o’r boblogaeth yno.
Daw’r lansiad yn y cyfnod cyn y Nadolig pan fydd 40% o setiau radio yn cael eu gwerthu, ac mae’n cyd-daro ag ymgyrch farchnata radio digidol newydd sy’n cynnwys y cyflwynydd a’r arbenigwr ar dechnoleg, Suzi Perry, ymgyrch sydd i’w glywed ar orsafoedd radio y BBC a gorsafoedd radio masnachol. Mae’r negeseuon hyrwyddo yn dweud bod setiau radio digidol yn gwneud anrhegion Nadolig perffaith ac mae’r prisiau yn cychwyn o ddim ond £30.
Yng Ngogledd Cymru mae gan 49% o’r boblogaeth ddefnydd set radio digidol DAB. O 23 Mehefin – 14 Medi eleni, roedd 34% o oriau gwrando radio i lwyfannau digidol. Mae’r lansiad yn golygu bod trosglwyddyddion DAB newydd, ers 2013, wedi dod â gwasanaeth DAB lleol i tua 1 miliwn o bobl yn ychwanegol yng Nghymru am y tro cyntaf, gan gymryd gwasanaeth DAB lleol yng Nghymru i 72%. Bydd y cam nesaf o adeiladu yn cymryd gwasanaeth DAB lleol tuag at lefelau gwasanaeth FM. Ar draws y DU, mae trosglwyddyddion newydd wedi dod â gwasanaeth DAB lleol i dros bum miliwn o bobl am y tro cyntaf, gan gymryd gwasanaeth DAB lleol o 66% i 73% o’r boblogaeth. Erbyn diwedd 2016, mae 200 o drosglwyddyddion DAB lleol ychwanegol ar y gweill fydd yn rhoi DAB i wyth miliwn o wrandawyr ychwanegol ar draws y DU. Bydd hyn yn ymestyn y gwasanaeth i fwy na 90% o’r boblogaeth ac yn ychwanegu mwy na 6,700 cilometr o ffyrdd i’r ardal a wasanaethir.
Mae gwasanaethau DAB cenedlaethol y BBC a ddarperir ar draws y DU ar gael i 85.8% o bobl yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd. Bydd hyn yn cynyddu fel rhan o gynllun y BBC i adeiladu 162 o drosglwyddyddion radio digidol newydd, fydd yn gwella’r ddarpariaeth ar gyfer ei rwydwaith cenedlaethol ar draws y DU o 95% i 97%.
Mae cyfanswm o dros 20 miliwn o setiau radio digidol wedi cael eu gwerthu hyd yn hyn yn y DU. Mae 58% o geir newydd yn awr yn dod gyda radio digidol yn safonol (CAP / SMMT Medi 2014).
Meddai Ed Vaizey, y Gweinidog dros Gyfathrebu a’r Diwydiannau Digidol: “Rwy’n croesawu’r lansiad mawr heddiw yng Ngogledd Orllewin Cymru ac yn dymuno llwyddiant mawr i BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Wales, Capital, Smooth, Nation Radio a Nation Hits! ar DAB. Mae dyfodol radio yn ddigidol ac mae hyn yn rhan o ehangu sylweddol darllediadau radio digidol DAB ar draws y DU.”
Meddai Laurence Harrison, Cyfarwyddwr Digital Radio UK: “Mae hwn yn ddiwrnod mawr i radio ac i Ogledd Orllewin Cymru. O heddiw ymlaen, bydd 100,000 o wrandawyr yn gallu derbyn eu hoff orsafoedd lleol a chenedlaethol ar DAB am y tro cyntaf.”
Dywedodd Steve Austins, Golygydd BBC Radio Wales: “Rydym yn falch y bydd Radio Wales bellach ar gael i rai ardaloedd o ogledd-orllewin Cymru ar DAB. Rydym yn awyddus i gymaint o bobl glywed ein gwasanaeth ag sy’n bosibl, felly mae hyn yn gam cadarnhaol ymlaen.”
Dywedodd Betsan Powys, Golygydd BBC Radio Cymru: “Mae hyn yn newyddion da i wrandawyr a fydd nawr yn gallu gwrando ar Radio Cymru ar DAB yn yr ardaloedd a wasanaethir, ac yn amlwg yn gam i’r cyfeiriad cywir yn y rhan hon o Gymru. Mae DAB yn opsiwn pwysig er mwyn gwrando ac rydym yn gwybod bod ein gwrandawyr yn gwerthfawrogi cael y dewis i wrando ar yr orsaf genedlaethol Gymraeg ar gymaint o lwyfannau ag sy’n bosibl.”
Meddai Mel Booth, Rheolwr Gyfarwyddwr Global Wales: “Rydym yn edrych ymlaen i ddod a Capital a Smooth i radio digidol yng Ngogledd Orllewin Cymru. Rydym yn gwybod bod ein gwrandawyr yn caru’r gerddoriaeth wych rydym yn ei chwarae, ac yn awr gallant wrando mewn ansawdd digidol.”
Dywedodd Jason Bryant, Cadeirydd Gweithredol Nation Radio a Nation Hits!: “Rydym yn falch o ddod a Nation Radio a’i chwaer orsaf Nation Hits! i wrandawyr yng Ngogledd Orllewin Cymru. Mae pob gwasanaeth yn ychwanegu amrywiaeth cerddorol go iawn a dewis ychwanegol ar gyfer gwrandawyr a, gyda’r ddwy orsaf yn tyfu’n gyflym, rydym yn falch o gael yr unig orsafoedd masnachol sydd ar gael ar y llwyfan radio digidol DAB ar draws Cymru.”
Coverage:
It’s been a busy time for MuxCo as we’ve been preparing for the launch of our multiplexes in North Yorkshire and North Wales.
Our North Wales multiplex is currently testing in preparation for its launch tomorrow (Friday 12th December) at the Galeri Caernarfon. We’re pleased that BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, Nation Radio, Nation Hits, Capital and Smooth will be broadcast from our initial two transmitters.
The North Yorkshire multiplex has started limited tests, which will be ratcheting up in the coming days before the multiplex officially launches next Wednesday (17th December) from York Racecourse. Harry Gration from Look North and Christine Talbot from Calendar will join the station teams from Stray FM, Minster FM and BBC Radio York for the switch-on.
We’re excited that Pulse – the Beat of Somerset – will be joining the Somerset multiplex on the morning of the 3rd December. Most radios will automatically pick it up, but if you can’t see it do an autotune and you should be able to hear this great, local station.
As a follow up to my last blog post, I’m happy to say that we’re now testing our two new transmitters. There may, however, still be some short interruptions before they are officially brought into service on the 1st November.
We’re also pleased to announce the addition of a new service to the multiplex – Trash Can Radio.
Trash Can Radio goes live in the early morning on 30th October 2014, ready to take advantage of our new, even wider coverage.
Here’s an update with some changes we’re soon to make to the Surrey & South London multiplex.
New Service
We’ll be adding Sunrise Radio to the multiplex tomorrow (Wednesday 15th) in the early hours of the morning. As well as joining Surrey & South London, it will also start broadcasting on Now Digital’s Herts, Beds and Bucks/Northants and Kent multiplexes too.
New Transmitters
On the 1st November we’ll be adding two transmitters the the multiplex at Stoke D’Abernon and Hungry Hill. It will extend local DAB Digital Radio coverage to 147,168 new households in Leatherhead, Farnham, Farnborough and the surrounding areas as well as to 144km of roads. It will also re-enforce existing coverage across the Surrey area.
This morning we launched our 6th DAB Digital Radio multiplex – this time for Somerset.
Here’s the press release:
Today at the Somerset County Cricket Club Ground in Taunton, Dave Durdan, Mayor of Taunton Deane, officially switched on new DAB digital radio transmitters, giving over 500,000 listeners new local stations on DAB in the Somerset area. The switch-on means listeners will be able to receive five local radio stations – BBC Somerset, Heart, Capital, Smooth Radio and Triple Hits for the first time on DAB digital radio.
To receive the new services, listeners with digital radios may have to retune their sets. Find out more at getdigitalradio.com/retune.
The big switch-on took place at Somerset County Cricket Club in Taunton. There are three new transmitters launching at Mendip, Taunton and Hutton. Once these transmitters have been switched on, local DAB digital radio coverage for these stations will go from zero to over 71% of households in the area, and they will add over 580km of roads into local DAB coverage for the first time.
Last year the build-out of DAB digital radio brought local DAB coverage to over five million people for the first time, taking local DAB population coverage from 66% to 72%. By the end of 2016, a further 200 local DAB transmitters will have been built making DAB available to an additional eight million listeners across the UK. This will extend coverage to more than 90% of the population and add over 6,700 km of roads into coverage.
The BBC buildout of 162 new digital radio transmitters to improve national DAB coverage for its national network stations is already underway to improve coverage from 94% to 97%.
In Somerset, 44% of the population have access to a DAB digital radio, and in Q2 2014, 37% of radio listening hours are to digital platforms. A cumulative total of over 19 million digital radio sets has been sold to date in the UK. 55% of new cars now come fitted with digital radio as standard (CAP/SMMT July 2014).
Dave Durdan, Mayor of Taunton Deane, said: “I welcome the switch-on of these local stations on DAB in Somerset for the first time – local radio is important and well-loved.”
Jane Ostler, Director of Digital Radio UK, said: “This is great news for over 500,000 people in Somerset as until now they have not been able to receive local stations on DAB. Boosting coverage for this area means listeners can tune into their favourite local stations on DAB for the first time.”
Gareth Cottier-Jansen of Triple MuxCo said: “In Somerset around 44% of households have a DAB radio and our new transmitters will enable them to hear their favourite local stations without having to switch back to FM or AM, plus brand new stations for the county. Favourite stations and new choices – that’s good for all. Our investment in local radio is also enhanced by our own new station ‘Triple Hits’ extending the listener choice.”
Paul Andrew, Regional Managing Editor Heart Bristol and Somerset, said: “We’re excited to bring Heart, Smooth and Capital to digital radio in Somerset. We know our listeners love the great music we play, and now they can listen in digital quality.”
Tamsin Curnow, Managing Editor of BBC Somerset said: “We are delighted that BBC Somerset will be available on DAB for the first time. We know that many of our listeners have been looking forward to this and we hope that new listeners will take the opportunity to tune in too.”
Press Coverage:
Photos:
Here at MuxCo HQ we’re gearing up for the next multiplex launch – Somerset.
We’ve just started test transmissions on two of our three transmitters – Taunton and Hutton. These consist of a ‘barker’ giving details about the launch. We’ll add these test broadcasts to our third transmitter – Mendip – early next week.
Sometime in that week (edit: actually early next week now) it’s likely we’ll continue tests and use some live or presented audio from our service providers. Like all tests, this is susceptible to interruption.
The official launch of the multiplex will then be on Friday 26th September at around 8.30am.
Our colleagues at Folder Media have started a DAB+ trial with their radio station Fun Kids+ on the Wrexham, Chester and Liverpool multiplex.