Technology, absolute

Displaying Absolute by Adam Bowie

September 17th, 2008

Posted By adam

If you’re listening to us via a digital system, you may have noticed that we’re now displayed as “Absolute Radio” on many devices now.

From first thing on Monday morning, all our DAB services changed into their “Absolute” versions. Absolute Radio is available to 90% of the population on the Digital One multiplex - check your coverage here. Listeners in London should now also now see Absolute Xtreme and Absolute Classic Rock on their displays. You may need to tune into Virgin Radio one last time on your DAB set before it changes name, and some models might require you to re-scan to sort the names in alphabetical order.

If you listen to us on Sky channel 0107, we’re also now Absolute Radio, and Absolute Xtreme and Absolute Classic Rock are now in positions 0200 and 0201. Virgin Media listeners should also now have seen the change made.

And finally, from just after 11am this morning, Freeview listeners should see our new logo on channel 727. You can see the new look for it below.

There are many different types of Freeview boxes, and some older ones might need you to update your channel list to see “Absolute Radio” in your EPG. But your service should be uninterrupted either way.

If you were listening to Christian’s show on Monday, you might also know that for a brief period, we also changed the text on FM radios in London. The RDS station name was changed briefly, before changing back, with hundreds of listeners texting and emailing in to let us know that we were Absolute in the kitchen but Virgin in the bedroom and so on!

Obviously we will be changing FM back to Absolute permamently, but we wanted to wait until the last minute to do this. Digital services are a bit more complicated and getting everything timed precisely is difficult to do. So we’ve made some changes earlier than others.

In fact, we’re on something like 16 different platforms which we think is probably more than any other commercial station in the world: from satellite radio services in Africa and the Middle East to cable services in Japan.

We also have to come up with versions of names suitable for 16, 14, 12 and 8 digital displays for various technologies. That’s not always easy if one of your stations is called Absolute Classic Rock!

Hopefully regular listeners are now aware that we’re changing names to Absolute Radio now and won’t be confused during this transitional period - the “crossfade” as we’re calling it.

But do let us know if you see any remnants of Virgin Radio where you listen. We think we’re on top of all the services, but there might always be one we’ve missed.

Adam

12 Comments

  1. Lesley,
    September 17th, 2008 at 7:26 pm:

    My Virgin Media channels are still saying Virgin Radio:P


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  2. Fraser,
    September 17th, 2008 at 8:33 pm:

    Looking forward to the station becoming absolutely Absolute… the changes should be great…

    Just thought I’d let you know that you’re still showing as Virgin on the iTunes Radio stream! Also, Virgin Radio Groove still shows up which I believe is now defunct??

    Absolute I’m sure will be king!


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  3. Toxteth o'grady,
    September 18th, 2008 at 1:25 am:

    Virgin Media are still holding onto the old name


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  4. adam,
    September 18th, 2008 at 10:24 am:

    Hi - thanks for your notes about Virgin Media.

    They’ll be changing on 25th September.

    And we’re chasing up iTunes to make the changes.

    Thanks!


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  5. Ben Matthew,
    September 18th, 2008 at 10:24 am:

    Virgin Media are due to change over the name for us this time next week - so no need to panic there! Our shoutcast streams were relabelled yesterday but it’s possible that Apple themselves need to poke their databases.


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  6. Giovanni Lombardo,
    September 18th, 2008 at 12:52 pm:

    Dear OneGoldenSquare friends

    I am writing you to ask an information:

    Since 2002 VIRGIN RADIO UK soon ABSOLUTE RADIO is available on the satellite AFRISTAR at 19.2 ° EST for all those who are equipped with a receiver WORLDSPACE.The satellite coverage is very large,it covers Europe,Africa and the Middle East.

    VIRGIN RADIO UK,Via WorldSpace, is available in Europe, Africa and Middle East,but unfortunately since 2004 your radio was encrypted and thus is no longer possible to listen free-to-air. I think that would be a great thing make ABSOLUTE RADIO free-to-air on WORLDSPACE.

    Why VIRGIN RADIO UK is encrypted on WORLDSPACE?

    I think it would be nice to hear VIRGIN RADIO UK soon ABSOLUTE RADIO in clear even on Worldspace.I note that on Worldspace other many other radios are available on “in clear” free-to-listen as WRN or Talksport but not VIRGIN RADIO UK

    However the display of my WORLDSPACE receiver is still “VIRGINUK”

    Now I listen your fantastic radio via internet streaming

    GIOVANNI from Italy


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  7. Phil,
    September 22nd, 2008 at 2:24 pm:

    This morning Sky channel 0202 previously Virgin Radio 105.8 was showing as Jazz FM - are you dropping this?


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  8. adam,
    September 22nd, 2008 at 3:27 pm:

    If you have a look now, you’ll see that this temporary glitch is over and it’s back to Virgin Radio.

    However, this will be changing title to Absolute Radio in the next couple of days.

    We’re certainly not coming off Sky, and the main service can always been found right near the top of the radio EPG on channel 0107.


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  9. Dave,
    October 5th, 2008 at 8:18 am:

    Can you ensure the metadata (ie song title,artist etc) accompanying the internet radio streams are working all of the time instead of just on the odd occasion?
    Thanks
    Dave


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  10. Dominic Small,
    October 9th, 2008 at 3:47 pm:

    To tie in with what was said above about making sure your station name is suitable for digital displays, here’s a cautionary tale.
    Absolute isn’t the only channel name that’s changed recently. The BBC have changed the name of their interactive service from ‘BBCi’ to ‘BBC Red Button’.
    However, some Freeview reciever displays cut the name off after a few characters.
    This means that when I highlight channel 105 in my guide, I’m now offered the chance to use, and I quote, “BBC Red Butt”.
    I guess the BBC’s baboons weren’t as Absolutely thorough in working out their new name as some other stations…


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  11. Husky,
    October 12th, 2008 at 4:00 pm:

    the ogg vorbis codec I use to stream the (then)virgin classic rock station onto my Second Life land… doesn’t work any more… has it been changed?? and can you supply a new addy for it if it has?? many thanks


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  12. “spotting virgins”. Absolute Talk Community. « Common User,
    November 10th, 2008 at 1:58 pm:

    [...] Run a corporate blog that allows Clive and others to talk about the decisions they make and admit mistakes. [...]


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