UBC To Offer Music Downloads Via Digital Radio
Staff – MediaTel NewsLine 
Commercial radio broadcaster, UBC Media, has said that it expects to break even at an underlying level in the current year to 31 March as it unveiled plans for a £400,000 investment in a new service for downloading music via digital radio.
The company said it will take a charge for the investment this year, but added it will be partly offset by the £250,000 in profits from its disposal of a 51% stake in the Oneword radio operation to Channel 4.
UBC said it expects shortly to announce partners in the music and radio industries who it will work with to launch the service in 2006.
Earlier this month, UBC announced the completion of an agreement with Channel 4 for the broadcaster to acquire a 51% interest in UBS’s national radio station, Oneword, for a cash consideration of £1 million, making further progress towards the creation of a Channel4-led radio operation to compete directly with BBC Radio 4 (see Oneword Deal Completed With Channel 4).
UBC took full control of Oneword in July 2004 in order to restructure its business. At the time, its then partner, USI Holdings, sold its 50% interest in Oneword to UBC for £754,938.
Channel 4 signed a deal with UBC last month, giving Channel 4 control over the station which will broadcast nationally via the Digital One multiplex, as well as through BSkyB, Freeview and BBC Radio 4(see Channel 4 Radio Moves Closer With Oneword Acquisition).
At the end of last year, UBC secured the contract to provide 23 Capital Radio stations with traffic and travel information based on data from its provider, Trafficlink, building the company’s profile and adding significantly to its travel client portfolio (see UBC Bags Capital Traffic And Travel Contract).
UBC Media Group: 020 7453 16001 www.ubcmedia.com
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