BBC Announces Next Phase Of Digital Radio Roll-Out

The BBC has announced the next phase of its digital radio transmitter network, confirming the location of its next nine transmitters.

The transmitters will be provided by Arqiva, and the BBC hopes that they will be on-air by the end of April.

Two of the new DAB enabled transmitters are already radiating the BBC’s services, having been commissioned into service over the last couple of weeks.

These two – one located at Christchurch and the other at Sergeant’s Law – extend the coverage of the DAB network around Newport, Gwent and South West Glasgow and Dumbarton respectively.

In addition, Jenny Abramsky, BBC director of audio & music, confirmed that the BBC was hoping to bring its DAB service to the Isle of Man and was working towards establishing a transmitter covering Douglas and the southern part of the island.

It is planned that this transmitter should come on stream over the summer, subject to planning approval and engineering constraints.

Seven transmitters will broadcast to Bury St Edmunds, Norwich and parts of east Norfolk, Arundel and the south downs, Alnwick and east Northumberland, Newhaven, Mansfield and York and East Riding of Yorkshire.

All of the BBC’s transmitters are being built and will be operated for the BBC by Arqiva. They represent the first of the new transmitters to be ordered under the £1.8 billion transmission agreement put in place between the two companies in September 2006.

Jenny Abramsky said: “I’m delighted to be able to announce these new transmitters. They represent a real and worthwhile improvement to the coverage of our DAB digital radio network. It shows the BBC’s continuing commitment to making our services available on DAB digital radio.”

Paul Eaton, head of broadcast radio at Arqiva, said: “For many years we’ve built and operated transmitters for independent radio stations but these are the first we’ve provided for the BBC.

“It’s the start of a new digital era which will see us roll-out a completely new digital TV network for the BBC and, if approved, a substantial increase to their DAB network.

“We look forward to working closely with the BBC throughout and beyond digital switchover.”

The Corporation has also said that it will undertake a trial of the digital radio mondiale (DRM) technology, which will allow it to explore digital radio using medium-wave frequencies.

The trial will broadcast BBC Radio Devon using the new technology in the Plymouth area and will last for a year from the end of April.

DRM has two main advantages – that it can be broadcast via existing AM transmitters, so no need for all that expensive investment, and DRM signals are stronger and can be broadcast for much longer distances than DAB.

But the adoption of DRM, as a replacement or as a rival to DAB, could be a huge spanner in the works of digital radio in the UK. DAB has only just got off the ground, and two rival systems could cause no end of consumer confusion, even with radios that can receive both.

Richard Waghorn, BBC controller of distribution, said: “The announcements today show that the BBC is committed to DAB digital radio and is continuing to path-find with new technologies.

“The BBC has a long history of trialling new transmission techniques and it is in this spirit that we are now exploring whether DRM has a role to play in the future.”

The latest RAJAR data for Q4 2006 revealed that digital only stations are continuing to perform well, with year on year gains in the number of DAB households and people listening via DTV (see Strong Quarter For Digital Radio).

BBC: 020 8743 8000 www.bbc.co.uk