Radio professionals celebrate DAB in Birmingham

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