Now Digital Gains Second Digital Multiplex Licence

Now Digital has won the local digital radio multiplex licence for the Bath and Bristol area. This is the second such licence won by the group (see GWR’s Now Digital Takes Wolverhampton Digital Licence), a wholly owned subsidiary of GWR, and is expected to be joined shortly by another for the Coventry area, where Now Digital is the sole bidder.

It is hoped that all three local licences will launch in January next year. For the Bristol and Bath area, Now Digital has proposed nine programme services, six of which will be exclusively digital.

The proposed services include:

GWR fm a music station focussing on 80s, 90s and current music Classic Gold 1260 for hits from the 60s and 70s The Storm, a digital-only rock station featuring music from the 80s and early 90s Urban which will cover “the current sound of Bristol and Bath” and will also be digital-only Xfm for modern rock The Rhythm, a digital-only classic and new soul station Melodic Easy Listening which will be exclusively digital and @ Bristol a digital-only channel which will combine science, nature and art with an interactive service whereby the audience compiles and presents programmes.

GWR set up Now Digital last year to cover local digital radio (see GWR Forms Regional Digital Radio Unit). The group also holds a 67% stake in Digital One, the national digital radio network. The first local digital radio services were launched this week as CE Digital rolled out its London, Birmingham and Manchester multiplexes (see Local Digital Radio Launches In The UK).

GWR: 020 7284 3000