Digital radio gets London signal boost

Wednesday February 3, 2010

The London upgrade plan is being developed by Digital Radio UK’s key stakeholders - the BBC, commercial radio and multiplex operator Arqiva – and is phase one of a broader UK-wide strategy to accelerate digital take up. In addition to extending coverage into those areas where digital services are currently unavailable, that strategy also entails increasing the strength of existing digital signals.

The area set to benefit from the initial London phase includes all locations within the M25 and should see the capital ready for digital upgrade more than four years ahead of target.

The plan to improve coverage in London has been developed by Arqiva with the support of the BBC, Digital One, Global Radio, Bauer Media and Absolute Radio. The Digital Radio UK upgrade plans are running in parallel with a BBC programme of digital coverage build out which has already seen the corporation increase its number of digital transmitters from 80 to 155 in the last year.

“Digital radio boasts a host of benefits for listeners and it is our highest priority to ensure those benefits are universally available before digital switchover happens,” says Digital Radio UK chief executive Ford Ennals. “The development of a plan to boost the signal in London is the beginning of a process which will see us build coverage and deliver a digital signal to everyone across the UK.”

BBC audio and Music director Tim Davie adds, “The BBC built a new DAB transmitter on average every week during 2009 and has committed to building out its DAB coverage to 90 per cent of the population by 2012. We are currently finalising plans to complete the final phase of this build out programme, and we hope to complete coverage improvements in the London area by the end of 2010.”