Radio Authority Awards Local Digital Multiplex Licence For Teesside

71/00 12 May 2000

RADIO AUTHORITY AWARDS LOCAL

DIGITAL MULTIPLEX LICENCE FOR TEESSIDE

The Radio Authority announced today (12 May) that it has decided, after considering the proposals submitted for the local digital multiplex service licence for the Teesside area, to award the licence to the sole applicant:

EMAP DIGITAL RADIO LTD. - Emap Performance, Mappin House, 4 Winsley Street, London W1N 7AR (contact: Tim Schoonmaker, 020 7436 1515; or Shaun Gregory, 0114 285 3333).

The licence is designed potentially to deliver digital radio programming and data services to an area with an adult (aged 15+) population of up to around 700,000, broadly corresponding to the coverage of existing 'first generation' Teesside ILR services.

Emap Digital Radio Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Emap Radio Ltd. It is proposing to broadcast a total of eight programme services in the Teesside area, each provided initially on a round-the-clock basis:

Gold	Classic Gold (programme provider: GWR Digital Ltd.)
Adult Contemporary Hot AC Dance	Programme provider: The Wireless Group Programme provider: to be decided Kiss (programme provider: Emap Radio Ltd.)

Easy Listening	Magic 1170 (programme provider: Emap Radio Ltd.)
Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR)	96.6 TFM (programme provider: Emap Radio Ltd.)

Modern Rock	Xfm (programme provider: Capital Radio plc)

In addition to these commercial services, the BBC local service, Radio Cleveland, will be broadcast using the digital capacity reserved for it.

Emap Digital Radio Ltd. proposes to commence its service in June 2001, using two transmission sites, at Eston Nab and Brusselton, which it estimates will provide ‘outdoor coverage’ of some 94% of the adult population of the Teesside 'primary protected area' (PPA).

The licence will run initially for a period of twelve years from the commencement of broadcasting.

The Authority will shortly be publishing its assessment of Emap Digital Radio's application for the Teesside licence.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The services will be transmitted on the VHF band III frequency block 11B (centre-frequency 218.640 MHz).

2. The application for the licence was considered according to factors specified in section 51 of the Broadcasting Act 1996, which are: the extent of coverage proposed, within the permitted maximum; the timetable by which this will be achieved; the ability of the applicant to establish the proposed service and maintain it throughout the licence period; the extent to which the proposed programme services will cater for the tastes and interests of listeners in the area; the broadening of local digital radio choice; local support for the applicant's proposals; and whether the applicant has been fair in contracting with the prospective providers of programme and data services on the multiplex.

3. Digital radio is a new transmission system which provides the listener with bundles (called multiplexes) of audio services to new portable and vehicle receivers, and personal computers, with unprecedentedly clear reception. Being digital, it can also broadcast data services which may or may not be related to the radio programmes; e.g. traffic information, electronic publishing, and internet-type information.

4. The Authority has already awarded a national digital radio multiplex licence, to Digital One Ltd., whose services will also be available in the Teesside area.

5. The Radio Authority is responsible for licensing and regulating Independent Radio in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996. It plans frequencies, awards licences, regulates programming and advertising, and plays an active role in the discussion and formulation of policies which affect the Independent Radio industry and its listeners.