The Wireless Group has confirmed its commitment to digital radio by winning the digital radio multiplex licence for Swansea.
Emap has also taken a 30% stake in the venture, which will see its Kiss and Smash Hits radio stations broadcast alongside the Wireless Group’s The Wave and Swansea Sound stations on the new platform. The new multiplex, which launches in January 2004, will also carry BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru.
Kelvin MacKenzie, chief executive of the Wireless Group, commented: “We are delighted to win Swansea, which is a significant market. I believe the combination of the Wireless Group’s heritage brands with Emap’s music brands will make a terrific digital line up. It is also another advance in our firm and committed alignment with the digital future.”
Both Emap and The Wireless Group have invested heavily in digital radio. The Wireless Group, which has a major stake in London’s biggest digital radio multiplex, claims that in the capital alone, digital platforms have a potential reach of 9.5 million listeners. The group also has significant stakes in multiplex licences for Scotland, Bradford and Huddersfield.
Emap operates seven digital radio multiplexes in South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, Liverpool, Leeds, Teesside, Central Lancashire and Humberside, alongside three joint ventures in Manchester, Birmingham and London.
The future is looking increasingly bright for digital radio after its somewhat muted introduction. Sales of digital radios have increased considerably in the run-up to Christmas, prompting speculation that demand may outstrip supply (see Digital Radio Sales Boom In Pre-Christmas Period).
Wireless Group: 020 7269 7180
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