41/01

6 April 2001

The Radio Authority announced today (6 April) that it has decided, after considering the proposals submitted by the two applicants for the local digital multiplex service licence for the Aberdeen area, to award the licence to:

The licence is designed to deliver digital radio programming and data services potentially to an area with an adult (aged 15+) population of up to around 325,000 in the Aberdeen area.

The shareholding structure of Switchdigital (Scotland) Ltd. is:

The Wireless Group plc 55%

Clear Channel International Ltd. 20%

Capital Radio plc 20%

The Carphone Warehouse 5%

Switchdigital is proposing to broadcast a total of eight commercial programme services, all of them, apart from Waves Radio (which will be broadcast initially from 0600 to midnight), on a round-the-clock basis:

In addition to providing a range of commercial services, each applicant for this licence is required to reserve capacity for the broadcasting in digital form of the existing BBC 'national regional' service, Radio Scotland, and the Gaelic language service, Radio Nan Gaidheal (each using capacity of 128 kbits/sec).

Switchdigital proposes to commence broadcasting all of its services in December 2001, using three transmission sites, at Meldrum, Durris and Mormond Hill, which it estimates will provide 'outdoor coverage' of 91.9% of the adult population of the Aberdeen '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 Switchdigital's application for the Aberdeen licence.

1. The services will be transmitted on the VHF band III frequency block 11C (centre-frequency 220.352 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 (i.e. covering Great Britain) digital radio multiplex licence, to Digital One Ltd., whose services are expected to be available in this area.
5. If an existing local radio station successfully secures a place on a local digital multiplex covering at least 25% of its area's population, it can apply to have its analogue licence renewed for a further eight years.
6. 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.