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DAB local radio gaps

Whilst most of the country does have operating local radio digital services, there is now a dispute about who is expected to provide them for the 2015 radio switchover target.

Whilst most of the country does have operating local radio digi
published on UK Free TV

There are some areas with no operating local DAB multiplex - this means that there are no local commercial radio stations on DAB, and also no BBC services.

The provision of these multiplexes was intended to be provided by commercial operators, but there has been a recent DAB promotion dispute due to some radio stations wanting the BBC to operate the multiplexes.

It should be noted that the commercial operators may wish the BBC to do this, but the BBC would require approval of the BBC Trust and Ofcom, and of course the money would need to come from somewhere.

Here is a list of the areas concerned:

England

BBC Radio Cumbria

No plans for DAB service exist, currently on 95.6 FM, 96.1 FM and 104.1 FM.

BBC Radio York

Planed to be on the not-yet-operating North Yorkshire (North West) commercial radio multiplex, currently on 103.7 FM and 95.5 FM.

BBC Radio Lincolnshire

Planned to be on the not-yet-operating Lincolnshire commercial radio multiplex, currently on 94.9 FM and 104.7 FM.

BBC Radio Derby

Planned to be carried on the Derbyshire commercial radio multiplex, currently on 104.5 FM, 95.3 FM and 96 FM.

BBC Hereford & Worcester

To be carried on the Hereford and Worcester commercial radio multiplex, when operational. Analogue services on 104 FM and 94.7 FM.

BBC Radio Northampton

Will be carried on the Northamptonshire multiplex when operational, currently on 104.2 FM and 103.6 FM.

Places without BBC local radio on DAB

BBC Three Counties Radio

To be carried on the Herts, Beds+Bucks commercial multiplex when operational, current services on 95.5 FM, 103.8 FM and 104.5 FM.

BBC Radio Suffolk

No plans for DAB service to replace 95.5 FM and 104.6 FM

BBC Radio Surrey

To be carried on two commercial multiplexes, Guildford and Surrey+North Sussex, when operational, currently analogue on 104 FM and 104.6 FM.

BBC Radio Oxford

Planned for carriage on the Oxfordshire commercial multiplex, when operational, on 95.2 FM currently.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire

Planned to be carried on the Gloucestershire commercial multiplex, when operating. Currently broadcast on 104.7 FM and 1413 AM.

BBC Radio Somerset

No plans to supplement 95.5 FM and1566 AM currently.

Channel Islands

BBC Guernsey

No plans to add digital services to 93.2 FM and 1116 AM.

BBC Jersey

No plans to add digital services to 88.8 FM and 1026 MW.

Wales

BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru

Operating on Cardiff+Newport and Swansea multiplexes, but both radio stations awaiting three commercial multiplexes to be operating: Mid+West Wales, NE Wales+Chester and North Wales to complete coverage.

Northern Ireland

Radio Foyle

Running six month DAB test service in addition to 93.1 FM and 792 MW.

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Comments
Thursday, 27 January 2011
M
michael
sentiment_satisfiedGold

10:16 AM

BBC WORLD-SERVICE : Nedbod, cheer up! Get a good analog shortwave radio and you will be able to hear powerful stations from the mid and far east instead ...
From nearer home, it will be ever more cheapo podcasting. The broadcasters, directors, stock-markets and our beloved leaders know so well what is good for us that they dont need to waste money asking us :-)

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michael's 872 posts GB flag
Friday, 28 January 2011
N
Nedbod
sentiment_satisfiedGold

2:24 PM

The BBC World Service might have been funded by "grant" in aid in the past, but from 2014 it is being funded out of the BBC licence fee as confirmed on BBC R4 "PM" again this week, when discussing the cuts.

Brian, what makes you think it will be totally closed down ? I cannot see this happening in my lifetime, even though its rich mix and range of programmes have drastically reduced, including pop & classical music, drama and comedy programmes most of which have been replaced by rolling news and business programmes in a very boring schedule (compared to 5 or 10 years ago) and the odd documentary and sport programme.

Nevertheless there would be a huge outcry if it was axed altogether. At least you can hear it in daytime hours these days in the UK, but sadly not on Freeview in the evenings in Scotland and Wales soon. 648kHz is very poor now in this part of the UK, as Radio Clwyd is on 657kHz (just next door and drowns it out). I guess 198kHz (1am - 5:20am) will go at the same time FM is switched off.

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Nedbod's 619 posts GB flag
Monday, 31 January 2011
Mark A.
sentiment_satisfiedGold

9:44 AM
Haywards Heath

I think people are confusing the BBC World Service and the BBC Overseas Services.
The BBC World Survive is one station broadcasted in English on Short Wave to any country that can get it. (Also on medium wave in some countries)
A BBC overseas services is normally meant for just one country often spoken in their own language.

EG.
The overseas service to Malta was transmitted from Bush House in Maltese. This station was closed down a number of years ago.
But you can still receive the BBC World Service on short wave their in English.
I think they wish to close more overseas services, but doubt they will close the World Service even if it means closing local UK BBC radio stations first.
The World Service is the best way for the UK Government to give their points of view to other countries and bypass their media.

link to this comment
Mark A.'s 374 posts GB flag
Mark's: mapM's Freeview map terrainM's terrain plot wavesM's frequency data M's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

4:03 PM

Mark A.: "The World Service is the best way for the UK Government to give their points of view to other countries and bypass their media."

That simply isn't true. The BBC World Service is not allowed to represent the government, it has a charter of editorial independence.

You are right, people do confuse:

- the BBC World Service, which is funded by the FO and consists of many language radio services (many on shortwave and MW) and websites - BBC World Service - Home ;

- BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC which sells BBC programmes and licences BBC formats to foreign broadcasters and also provide a number of UK magazines and DVD sales -
BBC Worldwide
;

- BBC World News, the TV news channel provided by BBC Worldwide - BBC World News ;

- BBC World Service Europe, part of the first, in English, carried on DAB and rebroadcast overnight in the UK on BBC Radio 4 - BBC World Service - Institutional - Can I listen via DAB digital radio outside the UK? .

Currently none of the above are provided out of the BBC Licence Fee, but you can watch some programme such as:

- World News Today BBC - BBC News Channel Programmes - World News Today .
- GMT BBC - BBC Two Programmes - GMT with George Alagiah .
- Overnight on R4 BBC - BBC World Service Programmes - Selection of BBC World Service Programmes .

link to this comment
Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Saturday, 5 March 2011
J
John A. Collin
6:57 PM
Melrose

Brian,
I live in the Scottish Borders and get DAB radio from the Selkirk / Lindean transmitter. It serves up a smaller number of stations. In particular it does not broadcast either our very successful local commercial station, radio Borders, or even BBC radio Scotland! Do you know if this situation will continue?

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John A. Collin's 3 posts GB flag
John's: mapJ's Freeview map terrainJ's terrain plot wavesJ's frequency data J's Freeview Detailed Coverage
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

6:02 AM

John A. Collin: These channels are carried by the local commercial radio multiplex, which has not launched as yet.

link to this comment
Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
S
sod
sentiment_satisfiedBronze

9:48 AM

Muxco Gloucestershire and Muxco Hereford/Worcestershire have been promising to launch very soon since they were awarded licences way back in 2007.Are they now failed companies? Does anyone know as their respective web sites have been dormant since late 2010?

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sod's 33 posts GB flag
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

6:17 PM

sod: There has been no notification from Ofcom that the licences have been withdrawn. It is a bit disappointing that the service has not launched.

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Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
N
Nedbod
sentiment_satisfiedGold

11:09 PM

The BBC World Service isn't quite ONE service as its programme schedules vary in different parts of the globe Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Australisia, North & South America to name but a few.

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Nedbod's 619 posts GB flag
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Briantist
sentiment_very_satisfiedOwner

3:56 PM

Nedbod: It *is* one service on the UK BBC DAB service...

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Briantist's 38,915 posts GB flag
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