Southend And Chelmsford Local Digital Radio Multiplex Awarded To Now Digital

Now Digital has been awarded the digital radio multiplex licence for Southend and Chelmsford. The award of the licence from the Radio Authority will allow the group to broadcast to up to 1.2 million people living in and around Southend and Chelmsford.

Mark Lee, managing director of Essex FM said: “It’s a great opportunity for Essex FM to be at the forefront of digital radio in Southend and Chelmsford and Now Digital are delighted to have been awarded the licence.”

Now Digital’s bid, which was the only bid received by the Radio Authority (see Radio Authority Awards Aberdeen Digital Licence, Receives One Application For Southend) proposed a total of eight programme services including:

• Essex FM: The existing analogue service playing chart hits
• Breeze: The existing analogue service playing hits from the last four decades.
• The Rhythm: A new digital service playing classic and contemporary soul.
• Dance: A new service playing dance and specialist dance music.
• Easy Listening: A new service for Southend and Chelmsford playing easy listening music for the over 50’s.
• Ritz: A new digital service playing country music.
• Flix: A new service playing music from films and shows.
• BBC Essex: The existing analogue BBC local service.

Now Digital also has digital radio multiplex licences for Bristol and Bath, Coventry and Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury and Telford (see GWR Prepares To Launch First Local Digital Offerings). Now Digital (c/o GWR Group): 01603 630621 www.gwrgroup.com Radio Authority: 020 7887 4294 www.radioauthority.org.uk Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive