4 Digital wins second DAB licence
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV Ofcom has announced today that 4 Digital, a consortium which is 10% TalkTalk, 10% Sky, 10% EMAP, 10% UTV, 5% UBC and 55% Channel 4 has won the right to operate the second national commercial multiplex.
These services, which are expected to start as soon as possible will be received all over the UK, and are expected to be pushed on to the biggest digital radio platform - Freeview - at launch.
The channels will be:
- E4 radio: a young person's radio station to complement the E4 television station.
- Channel 4 Radio: more Channel 4 News than Big Brother, this will be a contemporary version of BBC Radio 4. (So we will have Channel 4, BBC Four, BBC Radio 4 and Channel 4 Radio, plenty of room for confusion!)
- Pure4 is going to be a 'knowledgeable radio station for music lovers, and from the music and culture
- Sky News Radio: it does exactly what it says on the tin
- UTV Talk Radio: The NI ITV franchise holder does a Radio Five Live without the news!
- Sunrise: A commercial competitor to the BBC's Asian Network
- Original: an oxymoronically named adult album alternative station, AOR for men! Just don't say 6Music!
- Virgin Radio Viva: a station for those of the female persuasion.
- Radio Disney: another opportunity for the mega-corporation to sell products to children.
- Closer: for the celebrity obsessed
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