Media

Future Broadcasting Plans by Donnach O’Driscoll

September 4th, 2008

Posted By adam

In a comment Adrian asked the following question:

Hi Donnach, please tell us what Absolute has in store for the future of the Medium Wave transmissions.

We’re fully committed to continuing to broadcast on Medium Wave or AM as it’s otherwise known for the forseeable future. Our licence to broadcast from Ofcom on AM continues until 2012, and we’ll continue in that format until at least then.

We know that 35% of our listening hours are via AM, although obviously we’re keen to continue to serve our listeners in whatever format they want to hear us. We currently broadcast 16 different platforms including DAB across the UK, and 25% of our listening hours are now via one digital platform or another.

Ofcom and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport launched the Digital Radio Working Group at the beginning of this year to look at the broader picture of how we should be listening to radio in the future. This includes what platforms stations should continue to broadcast via. You can read their interim report here, with the final report being published towards the end of this year.

In the meantime, if you want to know more about the different ways you can listen to Absolute Radio, you can find the details on our website, including listening via your radio, the television, the internet, and your mobile.

Donnach

7 Comments

  1. Marty from new yawk,
    September 5th, 2008 at 4:46 am:

    Howyadoin Donnach:

    Would you be good enough to explain how Adrian, Clive and you have divided up the responsibilities for running the radio station? Simply put, what do each of you do?

    Thanks.


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  2. Bingethink,
    September 5th, 2008 at 5:49 pm:

    Are there any plans or aspirations to put Classic Rock and Xtreme on DAB nationwide?


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  3. Russ,
    September 8th, 2008 at 7:20 am:

    Bingethink you read my mind!

    I love listening to Xtreme but as I live in the sticks it gets a bit annoyoing that I can only listen through my tv.
    Please put it out on national DAB


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  4. David, Northern Ireland,
    September 9th, 2008 at 12:14 am:

    Regarding future broadcasting, when will Virgin Radio be available on DAB in Northern Ireland?? In your adverts on the station you say “Virgin Radio, soon to be Absolute Radio available on DAB across the UK”.

    When you say UK you are referring to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However Virgin Radio is not available on the DAB multiplex in Northern Ireland so that means that Virgin radio is only available on DAB across Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).

    Listening to Virgin Radio was the reason I purchased my DAB radio. I am disappointed that in order to avoid AM interference my only options are listening online or via my computer.


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  5. adam,
    September 9th, 2008 at 2:33 pm:

    David,

    Unfortunately, as you say, we’re not currently able to broadcast in Northern Ireland as there is only a single commercial radio digital multiplex that serves local, regional, national and regional BBC services there.

    Northern Ireland is unusual in that regard with most parts of the UK having both a national commercial multiplex as well as at least one local/regional commercial mutliplex. This affords far more space for DAB services to be carried. Currently, Ofcom has no further plans to advertise an additional mutliplex in Northern Ireland.

    As things stand there isn’t space on the multiplex for Absolute Radio to also be carried. But we constantly keep this under review, and should an opportunity present itself, we’d love to be able to bring our service on DAB there.


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  6. Matt,
    September 10th, 2008 at 1:00 pm:

    For the love of god, whatever you do - do NOT rid of the 160k OGG feed. Thats my only way of listening to the station in high quality!


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  7. Bingethink,
    September 10th, 2008 at 6:59 pm:

    Well, OK, that’s in Northern Ireland, but are there any plans or aspirations to put Classic Rock and Xtreme on DAB in Great Britain, where there is acres of space?


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