C4 Radio Could Join With UBC And UTV For Multiplex Bid

Channel 4’s 4Radio is expected to join with UBC Media and UTV Radio as partners in its bid for the second commercial radio multiplex, and is rumoured to be in talks with the UK’s biggest radio owner, GCap Media.

Newspaper reports that GCap was joining with BT and Arqiva in a bidding consortium are reported in the trade press to be wide of the mark. It is thought that these talks centred around GCap getting access to the second digital platform should Arqiva, formerly NTL Broadcast, succeed in a bid. Rival transmission company National Grid Wireless has already announced it is mounting a bid (see NGW Could Bid For Second Multiplex).

UBC Media already has a partnership with Channel 4 through its joint ownership of the Oneword literary station. It also owns the digital station Classic Gold.

Other partners in 4Radio’s bid include Universal Music and IPC. Discussions have also been held with Sky, although Sky has yet to confirm that it is joining the consortium.

The option for a third consortium forming, possibly involving GCap, remains. However, GCap would only be allowed to take a minority stake, as it is the majority owner of Digital One, the existing multiplex. Bidders have until the end of March 2007 to make submissions to Ofcom (see Second DAB Multiplex Licence Up For Grabs).

At MediaTel Group’s recent Future Of Radio seminar, panellist Nathalie Schwarz, director of radio at Channel 4, outlined the broadcaster’s plans for its bid, saying a successful bid by C4 for the multiplex would have a positive effect on the radio industry (see Channel 4 Outlines Vision For Second Multiplex).

Channel 4: 020 7396 4444 www.channel4.com