It is official: Test transmissions for Britain’s new national DAB digital stations have started.
After many years of waiting, a second national multiplex is launching.
The official switch-on is on March 29th. Stations such as Planet Rock and Absolute 80s move from the Digital One multiplex, while new stations including talkSPORT 2, Mellow Magic and Premier Praise will start broadcasting during march.
I am particularly looking forward to 2 of Bauer’s new radio stations: talkRADIO launches on March 21st and will see names such as Paul Ross, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Sam Delaney and Iain Lee presenting their own shows.
In addition, the Virgin Radio brand returns to the UK for the first time since 2008. Edith Bowman, Jamie East, Matt Richardson and Tim Cocker will be part of the new lineup.
It will be interesting to hear Virgin Radio alongside Absolute Radio (given that Absolute was what used to be the old Virgin, with many of its presenters still at the station).
With talkRADIO I shall be interested to hear how that compares with LBC – home to my Breakfast and Drive shows of choice since that started broadcasting nationally 2 years ago.
Sound Digital is the company operating the new multiplex. I’ve been waiting for something like this to happen for years. It is nearly 14 years since I got my first DAB radio and a lot has changed in radio since then.
These days, I have no fewer than 3 DAB radios – two in my bedroom, and one in my car. One of the radios in my bedroom picks up DAB+ which is the standard in Germany.
Where Bayern 1 and DLF (Deutschlandfunk) were the first DAB+ stations I picked up, Magic Chilled has become the first UK based station in this new standard that I have been able to tune in to.
I eagerly await February 29th and the days in March when talkRadio and Virgin Radio officially commence programmes.
FH.
