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22|01|08

Ofcom awards new local digital radio multiplex licence for Gloucestershire

Ofcom today announces the award of the new local Digital Audio Broadcasting ( DAB) radio multiplex licence for Gloucestershire.

This is one of a number of new local radio multiplex licences planned to develop DAB coverage for services in those parts of the country not already served. This licensing process will lead to a significant expansion in digital radio services throughout the UK.

By the closing date of 24 October 2007, Ofcom received two applications for the Gloucestershire licence. After giving careful consideration to the applications submitted, the Ofcom Radio Licensing Committee has decided to award the licence to:

MuxCo Gloucestershire Limited
96a Curtain Road
London EC2A 3AA
Contact: Gregory Watson Telephone: 020 7739 7879 email: info@muxco.com

The shareholders in MuxCo Gloucestershire Limited are:

UKRD Group Limited 25%
Murfin Media Limited 25%
Town & Country Broadcasting Limited 25%
MuxCo Limited 25%

MuxCo Gloucestershire Limited is proposing to provide ten local digital sound programme services, in addition to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, as follows:

Format description	Service name	Provider
Contemporary Hit Radio	Severn Sound	GCap Media plc
Gold	Gold	GCap Media plc
Local Full Service	Star 107.5	UKRD Group Ltd
Classic Rock	Smithy Rock	Murfin Media Ltd
Full Service	Local Live	Town and Country Broadcasting
Easy Listening	Easy Radio	Easy Radio Limited
Youth	Shuffle	MuxCo Gloucestershire Ltd
Variety Rock and Pop	Confidential	Confidential
Religious	UCB UK	United Christian Broadcasters
Traffic and Travel	Traffic Radio	Highways Agency/Traffic Link

MuxCo Gloucestershire Limited also proposes to provide "a wide selection of speech and music podcasts provided by a range of companies".

Ofcom estimates that this licence could achieve coverage of an area with an adult (aged 15+) population of around 460,000 .

The licence will be issued for a twelve year period. MuxCo Gloucestershire Limited is committed to launching ten of its proposed services (including the podcast service) by 30 October 2008. The eleventh service, Local Live, will begin broadcasting within nine months of the launch of the multiplex.

Ofcom shortly will publish a statement setting out the key determining factors for the award of this licence.

Ends.

Notes for Editors

1. DAB radio multiplexes carry a number of stereo and/or mono radio channels, as well as multimedia services such as text and data.

2. Today's licence is part of a wider licensing process which will lead to a significant expansion in local and national DAB radio services over the next three years. Further details can be found within Ofcom's 'Future licensing of DAB digital radio' Statement at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/dab/statement/.

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