Over 100 radio industry people attended the Doing the DAB: Birmingham event on Wednesday
night to hear
about the developments of digital radio in the city. Speakers included Caroline Martin, l
unchtime host of BBC
West Midlands and Ed James, host of Heart West Midla
nds’ Heart Breakfast with Ed & Gemm
a.
They were joined by a number of professionals from across the Birmingham radio scene inc
luding Rupert
Upshon, BBC West Midlands; Graham Bryce, Bauer City
Network; Mike Newman, Free Radio; Brett Spencer,
BBC Asian Network; Matt Deegan, MuxCo; David
Timpson, RTÉ; Dean Kavanagh, the Birmingham DAB
mini-mux; radio historian David Lloyd; Phil Stuchfield,
Jaguar Land Rover; Amy Southall, Midlands Officer,
Student Radio Association; and Ford Ennals, Digital
Radio UK.
Ford Ennals said: “It’s tremendous to see th
e
excitement and growth in the Birmingham radio market
from all sectors. The growing popularity of digital radio in
Birmingham and the launch of many new DAB stations
is helping to create a new golden age for radio list
eners.”
The event heard that capacity for further new DAB
stations in Birmingham is now fully utilised and Mu
xCo’s
Matt Deegan called for Ofcom to create a second local DAB multiplex for Birmingham and David Timpson
confirmed RTÉ Radio’s interest in launching services
in the UK, including Bir
mingham to serve the Irish
Diaspora.
Matt Deegan, Creative Director, MuxCo, said: “Birmingha
m is a thriving media market and its current
multiplex is full. It is unfair that whilst London has three local multiplexes offering a fantas
tic array of stations,
Birmingham has just one city-wide multiplex. A second multiplex would open up competiti
on for local
businesses and provide listeners with a fresh variety
of new services.”
David Timpsom, RTÉ Radio, said: “The small
-scale DAB initiative in the UK has been one of the most
refreshing developments in the last number of years, and RTÉ is working with Ofcom to mee
t regulatory
requirements which would allow us launch a radio service in the UK via the small
-scale muxes, including
Birimingham. In addition RTÉ Radio is currently exploring the possibility of
trialling the technology and model
in Ireland.”
Gareth Roberts, Chair of Radio Academy Birmingham, s
aid: “Birmingham is one of the most dynamic radio
markets in the UK and this evening has shown the on-going appetite for continued innovation and g
rowth
from the city’s broadcasters.”
Total radio listening is growing steadily in Birmingham due to the growth in digital
listening which has
doubled since 2010 and has offset a 20% decline in analogue listening in the same peri
od. Digital listening is
45.6% in Birmingham and DAB ownership is 65%
–
above the national averages.
Alongside over 40 nationally available stations, there are 11 stations on the local
Birmingham DAB multiplex,
including BBC Radio West Midlands, Heart West Midlands, Free Radio Birmingham
, Free Radio 80s,
Smooth West Midlands, Absolute Classic Rock, Absolute Radio 90s, Magic Soul, Capital, Gold and Ki
ss
Fresh.
The city’s small
-scale trial mini-mux, which is operated by Switch Digital, offers a further 16 commercial an
d
community stations, including Radio Central, serving the local Pakistani community; Angel
Vintage, a station
for the over 60s; and Unity FM, broadcasting to Birming
ham’s Muslim community.
Dean Kavanagh, Director, Switch Radio, said: “We’re
proud to have made our multiplex anything but “small”
in terms of its aspirations. Our services cover a wide variety of styles that mirror the great div
ersity of our
local community and a service from RTÉ serving Birmi
ngham’s Irish community would be a fa
ntastic and
popular addition.”
Doing the DAB was produced by Digital Radio UK in collaboration with Radio Academy
Midlands, RadioToday and Pure.F.RToday
We
quickly realised that, although everyone had strong opinions about what
constitutes the best user experience, there isn’t always clear evidence
available to support them. That’s why we set out to design and carry
out consumer research to better understand the digital radio experience
in cars today and how it could be improved.
AGRADECIMIENTO A SAN ISIDRO DE GÁLDAR Y SUS GENTES por la
hospitalidad con la que han recibido a su Radio Municipal hoy viernes
día 05 de mayo.
