Monday, December 16, 2013

Radio Ga Ga Ga Ga

So the onus is now on commercial radio to make DAB work. Next year Ofcom will set up a second nationwide DAB multiplex, likely to offer over 20 slots - and the BBC has made it plain, that whilst it'll stump up £7m as part of its ongoing commitment to better coverage, it won't be bidding to run new stations.

The trouble for commercial radio is that a national DAB slot costs over £1m a year, before you've made a programme or hired talent or programmed the iPod. And at the moment, the traffic is the other way: JazzFM surrenders its slot on the Digital One multiplex from January 1, following Absolute Classic Rock in a move to selected, cheaper local DAB slots and online delivery.

There's no word on applicants yet to fill the JazzFM national hole. Is there really the energy, investment and commitment to deliver 20 new national stations to listeners across the UK in two years ?

  • Wednesday update: Please read Matt's comments below: he's better informed and more optimistic than me. Which is good.
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  1. MattDecember 16, 2013 at 5:59 PM

    It's ten stations rather than twenty.

    The launch of a 2nd national multiplex is because the first one is full!

    I wouldn't judge the platform on one station leaving - I imagine it'll be replaced instantly.

    And for stations that leave, others start up, like Redstone, who appeared on digital radio in Surrey for the fist time today.

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