Talk Radio is set to make a return to the airwaves on DAB digital radio as a sister station to talkSPORT after the 4 Digital Group were awarded the licence for the second national digital radio multiplex in July 2007. Other stations that will be made available on the new multiplex include: Channel 4 Radio, E4 Radio, Pure 4, Sky News Radio, Sunrise Radio UK and Original Radio amongst others.
Contained within the 4 Digital Group bid, the reintroduced Talk Radio is described by owners UTV Radio as follows: "Talk Radio will mix intelligent, entertaining and opinionated presentation with lively debate and phone-ins. It will break the mould of national news and current affairs radio by having a more interactive and compelling talkback element. Its free-flowing agenda will be dictated by the unfolding issues of the day. From politics to the police, from immigration to Iran, if it’s in the news Talk Radio will be discussing it.
"Broad and inclusive in its appeal, Talk Radio will not alienate any sector of the radio listening audience. However, it is expected that its listeners will be predominantly over the age of 40."
It is expected that talkSPORT's non-sports presenters such as Ian Collins and George Galloway will broadcast shows on the new Talk Radio station. However, simulcasting is likely to take place on both talkSPORT and Talk Radio until the new station is well-established in the marketplace.
Channel 4 Cancel Digital Radio Plans
Added: Friday 10th October 2008
Channel 4 is to withdraw itself from 4 Digital Group, the consortium which was awarded a licence for the second national commercial DAB radio multiplex last year.
Channel 4 informed OFCOM this morning, to which they replied: "OFCOM recognises that the economic environment is very challenging and that all organisations need to make decisions in light of the circumstances they face.
OFCOM and the Government have supported DAB through the licensing of services and Ofcom continues to believe that DAB offers listeners real benefits. There are now 7.7 million DAB devices in the UK with 11 per cent of all radio listening through these."
Channel 4 won the licence to operate the multiplex last year as the majority partner in a consortium which also included SkyB, Carphone Warehouse, UBC Media, Bauer Radio and UTV Radio. The remaining consortium partners will gather next week to decide whether to hand back the licence to media regulator OFCOM
Simon Cole, Chairman of UBC Media and the Digital Radio Development Bureau, said: "We are not deciding today that this is the end of the second multiplex. All of the shareholders are going to take a long term view."
However, it is understood that UTV Radio and Bauer, who were the only other consortium partners still planning new stations for the multiplex, have decided to postpone any launches until the economy improves.
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