Radio Authority awards local digital multiplex licence for Yorkshire region

137/02

7 November 2002

Radio Authority awards local digital multiplex licence for Yorkshire region

The Radio Authority announced today (7 November) that it has decided, after considering the proposals submitted by the two applicants for the local digital multiplex service licence for the Yorkshire region, to award the licence to:

MXR LTD. – Chrysalis Radio Ltd., The Chrysalis Building, 13 Bramley Road, London W10 6SP (contact: Phil Riley, 020 7470 1077), and GMG Radio Holdings Ltd., 75 Farringdon Road, London EC1M 3JY (contact: John Myers, 07768 186989).

The shareholding structure of MXR is:

Chrysalis Group plc                             39.1%
GMG Radio Holdings Ltd.                  24.3%
Capital Radio plc                                16.7%
UBC Digital Ltd.                                    7.5%
Soul Media Ltd.                                     7.4%
Ford Motor Co. Ltd.                              5.0%

MXR is proposing to broadcast a total of nine programme services, all of them, apart from DNN (which initially will be broadcast from 06.00 to 19.00), on a round-the-clock basis:

Kids and teens Urban music	Capital Disney (provider: Capital Radio plc) Urban Choice (provider: Soul Media Ltd.)
Melodic adult contemporary	Heart (provider: Chrysalis Radio Ltd.)
Jazz, soul and blues	Jazz FM (provider: Jazz FM plc)
Adult rock	The Arrow (provider: Chrysalis Radio Ltd.)
Easy listening	Smooth (provider: Guardian Media Group plc)
Rolling regional news	Digital News Network (provider: DNN Ltd.)
Dance and r'n'b	Galaxy (provider: Chrysalis Radio Ltd.)
Speech and music	Real Radio (provider: Guardian Media Group plc)

MXR proposes to commence broadcasting all of its services by the end of June 2003, using ten transmission sites (at Acklam Wold, Beecroft Hill, Belmont, Bilsdale, Cave Wold, Clifton, Emley Moor (x2), Idle and Tapton Hill), which it estimates will provide 'outdoor coverage' of 90%, and 'indoor coverage' of 79%, of the adult population of the '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 MXR's application for the Yorkshire regional licence.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The services will be transmitted on the VHF band III frequency block 12A (centre frequency: 223.936 MHz)

2. 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.

3. The Authority has already awarded a national (i.e. covering Great Britain) digital radio multiplex licence, to Digital One Ltd., and local multiplex licences for South Yorkshire, Leeds and Humberside, all to Emap Digital Radio Ltd., whose services are already available, and for Bradford & Huddersfield to TWG Emap Digital (B&H) Ltd., whose service is due to commence this month.

4. 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.

Contact:
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Tel: 020 7887 4292 / 020 7887 4290
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