25/98 23 March 1998

RADIO AUTHORITY ADVERTISES FIRST AND ONLY NATIONAL COMMERCIAL DIGITAL MULTIPLEX LICENCE

The Radio Authority is inviting applications tomorrow (24 March) for the licence for the first and only national commercial digital radio multiplex. The advertisement for the licence (which will appear in the Financial Times) marks the beginning of the Authority's initiative to enable commercial radio to move into the digital age.

The following main points are included in the advertisement:

• some of the digital capacity is reserved for the simulcasting of the three existing INR services (Classic FM Virgin Radio and Talk Radio);

• remaining capacity may accommodate a range of programme ancillary and additional services the number and type of which are for applicants to propose;

• the licence is offered for a service potentially covering the whole of Great Britain;

• the licence will be granted initially for a period of twelve years;

• the closing date for submissions of applications is Tuesday 23 June 1998;

• a non-refundable application fee of £50 0 must accompany each application.

Applications for the licence will be considered according to the factors specified below not on a highest cash-bid basis. Applicants will be asked to submit their proposals in documents comprising two sections: publicly available material to include proposed programme and data services on which public representations may be invited; and detailed technical and financial information in a confidential section.

When making the award the Authority will take into account:

• how much of Great Britain applicants plan to serve and by what timetable this will be achieved;

• whether applicants appear sufficiently resourced to deliver their proposals;

• to what extent the new radio services proposed by applicants appeal to a variety of tastes and interests;

• how applicants will encourage listeners to invest in new radio sets;

• how fair applicants have been in contracting with those radio stations or data services who wish to appear on the multiplex.

The Authority welcomes views from the public on the services required from national digital radio and in due course upon the proposals put forward by applicants for this licence. These should be sent to David Vick Head of Development The Radio Authority Holbrook House 14 Great Queen Street Holborn WC2B 5DG.

The Authority expects to award the licence in the Autumn.

ENDS

NOTE TO EDITORS

1. The programmes (and possibly other services) will be transmitted on the VHF centre-frequencies of 222.064 MHz (in England and Wales) and 223.936 MHz (in Scotland).

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 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. The 1996 Broadcasting Act laid the framework for the introduction of digital radio.

Contact: Tracey Mullins 0171 405 7058
Press and Information 0171 430 2724
Out of Hours 0370 375283