DAB Information
DAB Digital Radio is a ‘flavour’ of digital radio that lets you listen to a variety of local, regional and national radio station on a specific type of radio – a DAB Digital Radio. There are radios available in car, on the move and for the home. Just like the regular radio you can pick up different radio stations depending on where you live. To check your coverage visit DigitalRadioNow.com.
In each area a number of stations are broadcast together in something called a ‘multiplex’. The multiplex operator hold a licence and builds a transmitter network. This operator then contracts with lots of different radio stations to broadcast on its platform. As the multiplex operator pays for the running of the entire multiplex, the radio stations pay a carriage fee to the operator, to help cover their costs.
Whether a station broadcasts on a specific multiplex is down to whether there is enough space to broadcast the station and whether the station wants to broadcast on DAB in that area. If you’re interested in knowing why a station you like isn’t broadcasting on DAB in your area, the best thing to do is to contact that station direct and ask them.
There are currently a number of multiplex operators running local, regional and national platforms, you can use this link to find out more about each multiplex. Further information is listed below.
National
Digital One run the current national commercial multiplex. It broadcasts to the majority of the UK (excluding Northern Ireland). Digital One’s website is http://www.ukdigitalradio.com.
BBC
The BBC also operate a national digital radio multiplex covering the majority of the country. This only broadcasts national services. Their website is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/digitalradio.
Regional MultiplexesTwo companies operate regional multiplexes – MXR Digital and SwitchDigital.
MXR Digital
MXR operates regional multiplexes in the North East, North West, South Wales and Severn Estuary, West Midlands and Yorkshire. They are owned by a consortium including Global Radio, GMG, UBC and Ford. Their consumer website is: http://www.getdabdigitalradio.com/.
SwitchDigital
Switchdigital is responsible for the regional multiplex in Central Scotland. It is owned by UTV Radio and the Carphone Warehouse. Their website is at www.utvdab.com and the multiplex is overseen by Piers Collins at UTV in London.
Local Multiplexes
There are a number of local multiplex operators in the UK. These include:
NOWdigital
NOWdigital (operated by Global Radio) has a website: http://www.now-digital.com. The multiplexes are managed by Ash Elford.
The areas that NOWdigital operate are: Bristol, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Essex, Cardiff, Cambridge, Dorset, Kent, Leicester, Norfolk, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth and Cornwall, Exeter, South Hampshire, Sussex Coast, Swindon & West Wilts and Reading.
Most multiplexes are wholly owned by Global Radio. However, Leicester and Nottingham are part of consortiums with Sabras Radio, and Plymouth/Cornwall is a consortium with UKRD.
Bauer Digital Radio
Bauer operate a number of multiplexes, mainly across North Englan and Scotland.
The multiplexes they operate are: Central Lancashire, Humberside, Leeds, Liverpool, South Yorkshire, Teesside, Tyne and Wear, Dundee and Perth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Northern Ireland. The multiplexes are managed by Gordon MacArthur.
UTV
UTV operate multiplexes in Aberdeen and London and are overseen by Piers Collins, their website is: www.utvdab.com.
Local Multiplexes – Joint Ventures
A number of local multiplexes are operated by consortiums:
CE Digital – a consortium of Global Radio and Bauer which runs multiplexes in London, Birmingham and Manchester – these are managed by Gordon MacArthur of EMAP.
UTV-EMAP Digital operate the multiplexes in Bradford, Swansea and Stoke-on-Trent – these are overseen by Piers Collins at UTV.
Digital Radio Group – a consortium of Global Radio, SMG, UTV and Carphone Warehouse operates the third London multiplex, this is managed by Ash Elford from NOWdigital.
Digital Radio Development Bureau
The Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB) is a trade body funded and supported by the BBC and commercial radio multiplex operators. Our task is to ensure digital radio’s wide accessibility and swift adoption in the UK with consistent and effective marketing.
The DRDB’s stakeholders are Arqiva, Bauer Radio, the BBC, Digital One, 4 Digital Group, Global Radio, GMG, UBC, UTV.
As a trade body, the DRDB is the central industry communicator on DAB digital radio. We work directly with broadcasters, manufacturers and retailers to encourage more and different products, heightened consumer and high street awareness, improved understanding of DAB technology and co-ordination of brand usage.
We share information on DAB developments in the UK and worldwide with other interested parties, including Government and regulators, Far East manufacturers and international DAB proponents. We work with a wide variety of DAB supporters on communication and research initiatives designed to assist the successful evolution of DAB digital radio.