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91Èȱ¬
digital radio launches in Manchester and Bradford
91Èȱ¬
digital radio comes to Manchester and Bradford today (Monday 22
September) with the addition of the Piccadilly Plaza (Manchester)
and the Idle (Bradford) transmitters to the 91Èȱ¬'s expanding UK digital
radio network.
Piccadilly
Plaza brings the 91Èȱ¬'s national digital radio services for the first
time to approximately 100,000 listeners in the central Manchester
area and improves reception for approximately one million more,
by reinforcing the signals from other transmitters in the region.
Idle
adds 100,000 new listeners in the Bradford area and improves reception
for a further 360,000.
Digital
radio listeners will be able to tune in to the 91Èȱ¬'s portfolio of
new digital stations – 1Xtra, Five Live Sports Extra, 6 Music,
91Èȱ¬ 7, the Asian Network – as well as the 91Èȱ¬'s existing national
radio stations – Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, Radio
Five Live, the World Service – and enjoy the benefits of digital
audio broadcasting (DAB) with its robust reception and clear sound
quality.
Listeners
will also be able to receive the 91Èȱ¬ local services, 91Èȱ¬ GMR and
Radio Leeds, which are already available on DAB.
Piccadilly
Plaza and Idle are the eighth and ninth transmitters to go live
in a new 91Èȱ¬ digital radio expansion plan which will increase the
91Èȱ¬'s national digital radio coverage from 65% to 85% of the UK
population by mid-2004.
They
join seven new 91Èȱ¬ digital radio transmitters which have gone on
air since August 2003. In total, through August and September, approximately
two million new listeners have been added to the 91Èȱ¬'s national
DAB coverage, with the signal improved for a further two million.
•
Naish Hill (Chippenham) - enables 135,000 people to receive the
91Èȱ¬ national digital services for the first time and improves the
signal for a further 200,000 listeners.
•
Manningtree (Ipswich) - adds 540,000 new listeners.
•
Rowridge (Isle of Wight/Southampton) - adds 760,000 new listeners
and improves signal for 180,000.
•
Dover (Canterbury/Folkstone/Dover) - adds 230,000 new listeners.
•
Bromsgrove (Bromsgrove/Worcester) - adds 160,000 new listeners and
improves the signal for 50,000.
•
Salisbury - adds 65,000 new listeners.
•
Bath - adds 50,000 new listeners and improves the signal for 170,000.
Listeners
will need a DAB digital radio to receive the 91Èȱ¬'s digital radio
broadcasts.
Existing
digital radio listeners in the areas should carry out an 'autotune'
to scan and store the newly available 91Èȱ¬ services in their set's
station list.
For
advice on receiving 91Èȱ¬ digital radio listeners can ring 08700 100123
or visit .
Notes
to Editors
•
The 91Èȱ¬ has five digital-only radio networks, all launched in 2002:-
1Xtra
– the best in new black music
Five
Live Sports Extra – the home of live sport with exclusive
coverage of live events
6 Music
– the best of contemporary and classic rock and pop
91Èȱ¬
7 - the best of 91Èȱ¬ comedy, drama and books from the archive
The
Asian Network – news and music from the British Asian scene.
•
The 91Èȱ¬'s whole family of speech and music networks is also available
on digital radio: Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, Radio Five
Live and the World Service (in English).
•
Digital radio offers very robust reception and does not suffer from
the interference and fading that can happen with AM and FM radio.
•
Digital radio is a more efficient means of broadcasting. More networks
can be transmitted, offering more choice for listeners.
•
Digital radio can transmit text and data with the audio signal.
A small screen on digital radios carries rolling text telling listeners
what music they're listening to, who's being interviewed, and giving
phone numbers and e-mail and website addresses.
•
Digital radio can be received via digital television (satellite,
cable and Freeview) and through the internet, as well as through
a digital radio receiver.
•
There are currently 23 manufacturers producing digital radios for
the UK market. Sony Europe recently announced it will launch a digital
radio in 2004 – the first major Japanese manufacture to come
into the digital radio market.
•
Digital radios are available as tuners (i.e. as part of a hi-fi),
portables and as car radios. Prices start at £99.00.
•
Total UK digital radio sales have reached 175,000 sets (GFK data
- May 2003).
•
Digital radios are available from over 3,000 retail outlets across
the UK (both large high street chains and small independent retailers)
and can also be bought on the internet.
Radio
- the digital future gets closer (23.06.03)
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