NOW Oxford
| Licensed area | Oxfordshire |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 10B (211.648 MHz) |
| Air date | Yet to Launch (Delayed) |
| Owner | Arqiva |
| Website | www.now-digital.com |
Now Digital (Oxford), is the name of the DAB multiplex operator for the county of Oxfordshire, serving an area similar to the analogue area served by Heart Oxfordshire.
At the time of the licencing, this company was a wholly-owned subsidary ofGCap Media PLC until they were bought in 2009 by Global Radio who later sold the DAB licneces to transmitter company Arqiva.
The DAB licence was advertised by Ofcom on May 9th 2007. At the close on August 7th 2007, the reguator had received two applications, one from MuxCo (Northamptonshire), the other from Now Digital, a wholly-owned subsidary (at the time) of GCap Media PLC. On January 22nd 2008, it was announced that Now Digital (Oxford) had won the licence.
Three transmitters are confirmed as carrying the platform; Beckley, Boar's Hill & Farthinghoe.
As required, the BBC Local service, BBC Oxford, has to be carried on this platform.
Services Expected to be on the platform
[1] (Adjusted to reflect the way UK radio is now)
Unless indicated, the following services are expected to be carried on both frequencies.
| Service | Service Type | Signal | Bit-Rate | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBC Oxford | BBC Local service | Joint Stereo | 128 kbps | Also on FM - 95.2 |
| Heart Oxfordshire | Adult Contemporary | Joint Stereo | 128 kbps | Also on FM - 102.6 (Oxford) & 97.4 (Banbury). |
| Oxford's FM 107.9 | New Music/Chart & Dance | mono | 80 kbps | Also on FM - 107.9 (Oxford). |
| XFM | Modern Rock | Joint Stereo | 128 kbps | Relay of London Service. |
| My-FM | Soft Adult Alternative | mono | 80 kbps | Provides by Absolute Radio Int. |
| TO BE ANNOUNCED | Adult Contemporary | Joint Stereo | 128 kbps | Not Yet Known. |
| Traffic Radio | Travel Reports | mono | 48 kbps | Travel Service. |
| UCB UK | Religious | mono | 64 kbps | Currently on Digital One. |
| Jack FM | Variety Pop & Rock | mono | 80 kbps | Also on FM - 106-107. |
MuxCo
Had the awarding of the licence gone the other way, this is what would've been on offer:
Heart Oxfordshire, Oxford's FM 107.9, Banbury Sound, Easy Radio, Jack FM, UCB UK, Traffic Radio Castle Digital (Gold service provided by Laser) and two further slots for an Adult Contemporary service and Modern Rock.
Transmitter Sites
These are the only confirmed transmitter sites at present: [2]
| Transmitter | KW | AREA |
|---|---|---|
| Beckley | ? | Depending on signal strength. |
| Boar's Hill | ? | Depending on signal strength. |
| Farthinghoe | ? | Banbury |