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Digital One Network
Licensed areaGreat Britain
Frequency11D England and Wales
12A Scotland
Air date15 November 1999
OwnerArqiva
Websitehttp://www.digitalone.co.uk

Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva. As of March 2010, the multiplex covers more than 90% of the population[1] from a total of 137 transmitters.[2] A lack of available frequencies means there is no coverage in Northern Ireland; this is due to the nearby VHF analogue TV signals used in the Irish Republic(however these signals are due to be phased out, possibly when the digital switchover of television happens in 2012).

Stations carried

Station Name Bitrate Audio Channels Format DAB launch date Notes
Absolute Radio 112kbit/s Joint Stereo Adult contemporary music 15 November 1999 Also broadcast nationally on 1215 AM and in London on 105.8 FM.
Classic FM 160kbit/s Joint Stereo Classical music 15 November 1999 Also broadcast nationally on 99.9–101.9 FM.
Planet Rock 128kbit/s Joint Stereo Rock music 15 November 1999 Privately owned semi-automated radio station[3]
Talksport 64kbit/s Mono Sport and talk 15 November 1999 Also broadcast on nationally on 1089 & 1053 AM.
Absolute 80s 80kbit/s Mono Adult contemporary music 14 May 2010
Absolute Radio 90s 64kbit/s Mono Britpop, Indie, and Rock from the 1990s 25 August 2010 Shared space with Absolute Radio Extra
Absolute Radio Extra 64kbit/s Mono Part time live Football and concerts 16 July 2010 Live sport also broadcast nationally on 1215 AM, Shared space with Absolute Radio 90s
Amazing Radio 64kbit/s Mono New indie, urban, jazz and pop music 1 June 2009[4] Initially broadcasting at 128 kbit/s Stereo, the bitrate was reduced to 64 kbit/s Mono upon the launch of Absolute 80s.
BFBS Radio 128kbit/s Joint Stereo Contemporary music 20 April 2009 BFBS Radio broadcast a three month trial service which ended on 31 March 2008. Test transmissions began on 17 April 2009 and the station launched as a full-time service at 07:00 on 20 April 2009.
Jazz FM 80kbit/s Mono Jazz 21 March 2011[5] Also available currently across a number of regional DAB ensembles. Initial test transmissions labelled as "Karma".
Premier Christian Radio 64kbit/s Mono Christian 21 September 2009 The station was able to launch after a fundraising effort from listeners to meet the £650,000 annual cost to broadcast on Digital One on 21 September 2009.[6]
Smooth Radio UK 112kbit/s Joint Stereo Easy Listening 05 August 2010
UCB UK 64kbit/s Mono Christian 1 December 2009[7][8]

History

On 24 March 1998, the Radio Authority advertised for the first national ensemble to be broadcast on DAB. The three national commercial services on FM and mediumwave had to be included as part of the ensemble, Classic FM, talkSPORT and Virgin Radio.[9] The licence was awarded to the sole applicant, GWR Group and NTL Broadcast to form Digital One.[10] The original licence application included the following stations:[11]

Digital One Ltd (original application)
Classic FM Classical music GWR (now part of Global Radio)
Classic Gold Rock Rock music NTL
Club dance Dance music TBA
Plays, books and music Comedy, drama and serials TBA
Rolling news service Rolling news ITN
Soft AC Female contemporary music TBA
Sports channel Live sports and comment Talk Radio UK
Talk Radio (now talkSPORT) Talk radio Talk Radio UK (now owned by UTV Radio)
Teen and chart hits Pop and dance music GWR
Virgin Radio (now Absolute Radio) Complementary rock music SMG plc

Digital One was due to launch on 1 October 1999,[12] but this was postponed until 15 November 1999.[13]

After the closure of PrimeTime Radio in 2006, the original licence was amended to allow the launch of a new classic and contemporary jazz service, theJazz which was launched on 25 December 2006, before the 31 December 2006 deadline set in the licence amendment.[14]

On 11 February 2008 GCap announced that it was selling its interest in Digital One to Arqiva and that "non-core" DAB stations Planet Rock and theJazz would be closing by the end of March 2008. Planet Rock however, has been saved whilst theJazz ceased broadcasting at midnight, on 30 April 2008.

In April 2009, Global Radio, which had acquired GCap Media - part owner of Digital One, sold its 63% stake in the ensemble to Arqiva, making them the sole owner and operator of the ensemble.[15]

Former Services

Services previously carried on the multiplex include :-

  • NME Radio (officially ceased 12 July 2010[16])
  • Panjab Radio (trial national broadcast from 1 December 2009 to 31 May 2010)
  • Fun Kids (ceased on 3 October 2009 after a three month trial)
  • Birdsong (ceased 1 June 2009, replaced by Amazing Radio)
  • theJazz (ceased at 24:00 31 March 2008)
  • Capital Life (ceased 31 March 2008) [17]
  • Core (ceased at 24:00 11 January 2008,[17] immediately replaced by BFBS Radio)
  • Oneword (ceased at 24:00 11 January 2008[18]
  • Primetime (ceased 24 May 2006, replaced by theJazz on 25 December 2006)
  • D1 Temp (ceased 9 June 2005 - see Birdsong below)
  • Bloomberg (ceased 6 December 2003, replaced by D1 Temp)
  • ITN (ceased 1 July 2003)

In addition to the audio services listed above a number of data services, short lived temporary audio services, and mobile video channels have been broadcast on this multiplex.

Birdsong

Main article: Birdsong (digital radio channel)

Birdsong was a transmission consisted of a continuously looping recording of bird song. When financial news station Bloomberg, and rolling news station ITN News Radio ceased to broadcast within several months of one another in 2003, replacement audio services were never found due to a commitment in Digital One's broadcasting licence to provide a news station. This resulted in a station playing a 36-minute, 56-second loop of birdsong and ambient sounds, entitled D1 Temp which broadcast until June 2005.

When the magazine-format digital radio station Oneword ceased in January 2008, the birdsong audio once again returned to the multiplex on the Oneword channel and the service name of the DAB channel changed to "Birdsong", until Amazing Radio launched on 1 June 2009.[4]

References

  1. ^ "Coverage - Future transmitters". ukdigitalradio.com. Digital One. Retrieved 13 March 2010. Although already covering more than 90% of the population... {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  2. ^ "Coverage - Current transmitters". ukdigitalradio.com. Digital One. Retrieved 13 March 2010. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  3. ^ Strategy Presentation, GCap Media plc, 11 February 2008. Retrieved on 11 February 2008.
  4. ^ a b "Amazing - a new DAB station". Radio Today. 1 June 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  5. ^ "Jazz FM goes national on DAB". Radio Today. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  6. ^ Plunkett, John (19 August 2009). "Premier Christian Radio set for national digital launch". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
  7. ^ "UCB goes national on DAB digital radio" (PDF). United Christian Broadcasters.
  8. ^ "Two new tenants for Digital One". Radio Today. 1 November 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
  9. ^ "RADIO AUTHORITY ANNOUNCES ADVERTISEMENT DATE FOR NATIONAL COMMERCIAL MULTIPLEX". Ofcom. Radio Authority. 5 March 1998. Retrieved 5 May 2007.
  10. ^ "APPENDIX 3.6 - Digital audio broadcasting" (pdf). Competition Commission. Retrieved 17 April 2007.
  11. ^ "RADIO AUTHORITY RECEIVES ONE APPLICATION FOR FIRST AND ONLY NATIONAL COMMERCIAL DIGITAL MULTIPLEX LICENCE". Ofcom. Radio Authority. Retrieved 12 May 2007.
  12. ^ "DIGITAL ONE IS Awarded 12 YEAR DIGITAL LICENCE". PR Newswire. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
  13. ^ Pearse, Justin (20 October 1999). "Motor Show: Digital One unveils launch line-up". ZDNet UK. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
  14. ^ "ANNEX - PART I - Conditions relating to simulcast services and digital sound programme services". Ofcom. Archived from the original (docx) on 15 June 2007. Retrieved 12 May 2007.
  15. ^ Plunkett, John (7 April 2009). "Global Radio sells Digital One to Arqiva". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2009.
  16. ^ ukdigitalradio: News - NME Radio Stops Broadcasting on DAB Digital Radio
  17. ^ a b West, Dave (11 January 2008). "GCap closing two digital radio stations". Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  18. ^ Welsh, James (10 January 2008). "Oneword Radio to shut down". Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 February 2008.).


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