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   station directory latest radio news air today feedback features  | |  Feedback archive An archived selection of comments and e-mails can be found below. Please be patient while the page loads. |
3rd February 2002 DAB and Sky confusion I am a Sky Digital subscriber living in Bournemouth. I understand this is broadcast on 11B. Is there any way I can pick up midlands radio (on 11C) via my box through the additional channels service? Thanks. Andrew I think there is some confusion here. The channel 11B note refers to the DAB digital radio multiplex (which can be picked up by a DAB digital radio tuner) and has nothing to do with Sky or its multiplexes. Local DAB digital radio isn't due to launch in Bournemouth until March. A few of the more popular digital radio services, such as The Storm and Xfm are carried on Sky in addition to appearing on many local DAB digital radio multiplexes. However, as there's only so much space on Sky and for cost issues, it's unlikely local services will be carried. As for the additional services - I can't comment as I do not have Sky. I'll have a look at our digital radio pages because I think this is from where the confusion has arisen! Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14th January 2002 Look to the Sky I am a digital radio virgin, desperately seeking the knowledge to go digital. I live in lovely Norfolk where terrestrial digital radio seems scheduled to arrive at about the same time as the trains will run on time. People tell me I need to get my hands on a Sky dish and digi box, and these can be connected to my stereo tuner (non-DAB) and lo - digital radio is mine. Is the full story? How much will it cost? How many stations will I be able to receive? Etc. etc. Fred We can help you out with stations, check out our Sky satellite radio list. Not sure about the cost of the kit nowadays - can anyone oblige? Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9th January 2002 Why not try our listings? Friends of mine who live in Austwick, The Dales, and used to listen to longwave 252, because of reception problems. Now they find that 252 is a non-stop sports channel, can you direct us to a music station that has strong enough signals to be received in their area please. Paul Fresh AM is my first thought, perhaps Classic Gold of West Yorkshire might reach. Have you tried our Yorkshire listings to find frequencies? The best way is to try tuning in. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- East and West Sussex Just a short note to let you know that Sovereign Radio is actually based in Hailsham, East Sussex, which is about 7 miles north of Eastbourne. They are not in West Sussex as listed - hope this helps. Lee Southern FM has two relays - 102FM Hastings and 96.9FM Newhaven, both taking the 102.4FM feed (not that they're different - just different ads). Andrew Thanks, chaps. I had thought the Southern relays were no longer in use, but I'll reinstate them. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What no audio? Is it just my computer, or is there no audio when you click on play on any of the SRH stations? There's been feedback from other people, but no matter what I do, there is nothing coming out! Vinnie Well, to be fair there is a notice on the page that says 'Some of the stations below are now streaming audio via their websites. Please click on the links below.' Forth have also been in touch and given us more 'direct' links to their audio launch pages. Which is nice of them. I think a lot of our visitors will be glad to hear that some of the Scottish stations are back online again, after such a long absence, no matter how we link to them. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key bored Hi could you kindly let us know what's happening to Key 103 Manchester, the best radio station in the world. Hope you can get it sorted out quick. Many thanks for all the great work. Ivor The Key 103 audio link was never an 'official' link. It was provided by a presenter at the station, as far as I remember. I can't remember where I found it and unfortunately I don't know if the address has been updated since. The station is still on the air on 103FM in Manchester, of course. Now, does anyone have anything interesting to ask? Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4th January 2002 Missing... presumed... I use Internet radio all day but recently I have been unable to receive Ritz 1035 'broadcasts'. Do you know what has happened? Cliff The Ritz website is down at the moment. I would hope that it is getting an overhaul, as Ritz is going to be on digital radio from the end of January in London as well as 1035AM. I would expect streaming to return when the website is back up. 3C Continuous Cool Country streaming is back, however you'll have to go their website to listen. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kerrang! Bash! Wallop! The link to Kerrang radio station doesn't work properly - is the streaming broken? Kev Erm, had a look at the Kerrang website, not too sure if Kerrang Radio is still going - I've a feeling they may have pulled the plug on this venture as I can't now find a link to the stream at the Kerrang site. Unless anyone knows differently, that is. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evertone deaf Please can you work to resolve the Everton FC radio link. I hate missing the match day commentary. Dave Sorry, I thought I'd resolved this one before Christmas, but must have overlooked it. Hopefully all should be well - let me know if there's still a problem. Ed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st January 2002 Launching a digital radio station I am trying to find out the cost of setting up a digital radio station. Numerous calls to Sky in London have so far ended in frustrating cul-de-sac voice mail messages. Nicholas I would contact Digital One, the national commercial DAB multiplex operator. A great many of the stations on this multiplex also broadcast on Sky, if this is the way you want to go. They may be able to offer advice. Also try the Digital Radio Development Bureau. We've been asked this type of question before, and I'm afraid I was unable to offer much help. However, I have heard carriage costs on Sky start at (the low side of) 6 figures per annum. Let me know how you get on. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Select a radio station PLEASE can you tell me what has happened to a trial radio station for Rotherham called SELECT FM 106.6? I am fed up of so-called local radio for Rotheram, which ends up coming from Sheffield. Please can you tell me why in an area of 250,000 people, there is not a separate station for Rotheram? Mark Well, there is some good news. Barnsley is on the working list of new analogue radio licences up for grabs - and it's first on the working list (see below), which means it should be advertised first, early in 2002. Okay, it's in a different part of South Yorkshire, but at least it's not Sheffield! If the Select RSL went well, it may pursuade the Radio Authority that the Rotheram area needs a new station, too. Why not make your feelings known to the Radio Authority? Incidentally, RSL information is linked to from the foot of our maps page. Don't forget, South Yorkshire's new FM station Real Radio will be on air this Spring, too. Ed. Radio Authority 'Working List' of areas for new analogue local licences The Authority also plans to advertise new analogue local licences in the following areas (in the following sequence): - Barnsley The sequence of licence advertisements for the final four areas on the 'working list' (below) will depend upon the resolution of various frequency planning issues, and has yet to be decided: - Buxton --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wave finding Waves Radio Peterhead does not broadcast on 101.7FM as stated but 101.2FM and now broadcasts on digital radio as well. Craig Noted, thanks Craig. The Aberdeen local digital mux went live in December, as you suggest. Any sign of the two new services planned for the multiplex yet? If not, keep a lookout and let us know so that we can pass the information on. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BBC Radio Lincs on DAB? When can I expect to receive BBC Radio Lincolnshire on my DAB tuner? I can only get Lincs FM sometimes. National stations are received with an excellent signal in Sleaford with a loft di-pole aerial. Peter If there's space on the multiplex, BBC Radio Lincolnshire may be added later. Note that a separate multiplex for Lincolnshire is not planned, according to the digital multiplex timetable published by the Radio Authority. It's not unusual to see two BBC local services on the same multiplex - the Wolverhampton multiplex carries both BBC Radio Shropshire and WM. This may involve adjusting the audio quality of other services on the emap-owned Humberside multiplex, though. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3rd December 2001 @t-Bristol is still very much in the pipeline @Bristol is still a service that NOWdigital wants on the multiplex and is working with a number of people to make it happen. Anon I'm glad to be able to set the record straight (see updated news story). I look forward to seeing the service pop up on the multiplex. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Metro/Downtown/Cool FM I wrote to you a while ago about Metro Radio (which I now see has n/a next to it on your site). Any further news on when and if it might become available on your website? Ian I would like to know when Downtown Radio and Cool FM will broadcasting again on the net. Steve Sorry, chaps, no news as yet. Downtown Radio and Cool FM both come from the same stable as a number of other Scottish stations (i.e. owned by Scottish Radio Holdings) that stopped streaming a long, long time ago. SRH held a 25pc stake in the company BroadcastEurope, a major streaming provider, which is no longer around. When BroadcastEurope ceased, so did the live audio. The station to look out for is sister station 3C - if that starts streaming, chances are the rest will follow suit. I'm doubtful whether Metro will be made available on the net in the short term. Sister stations TFM (Teeside) and Radio City (Liverpool) aren't streaming, leaving Metro as the only station to have actually broadcast on the net for a short time under the new design of Emap websites. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Best advice for receiving DAB? Could you please advise of the requirements for an aerial for a DAB radio. I am currently thinking of buying a system and require information on the aerial requirements needed to obtain optimum reception. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Ron I'm afraid I'm technically challenged when it comes to information like this. From what I have read (on our pages, in fact!), certainly the aerial needs to be mounted vertically, as the DAB radio signal is transmitted with vertical polarisation only - a dipole fixed this way should work fine. Preferably in the loft, of course. I've read that there are aerials specifically for DAB radio and I believe Maplins now stock them. You could try the Confederation of Aerial Industries on 0208 902 8998 for advice. You can check out the shop at Videologic to get an idea of what's available. Anyone else have any good bookmarks for websites about aerials? I'd like to be enlightened too. Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1st December 2001 More sports please When does Five Live Sports Plus begin? Anon Our national station listings give the information that Five Live Sports Extra launches at the end of January 2002. Five Live Sports Plus was an experimental station that is no longer on air. Ed. Sunderland! Arghhhhh! I am going round in circles trying to get Sunderland football reports. If I go on the site it tells me it is not a realplayer file. If I go to Metro it opens with Media player then comes up with invalid file 8007274D. All I want to do is hear the football. Can any one help? the anoying thing is I can hear Newcastle without problems as it opens with Media player. Peter I'm afraid I was stopped in my tracks by having to register at the Sunderland site. Yawn. I clicked away. Can anyone suggest a solution? Ed. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23rd November 2001 Wake up and smell the koko! GWR Group's koko.com seems to be gradually making a comeback. At the moment I can only find pages for GWR Bristol, but the koko site seems to gain a new area each day. No doubt Leicester will be one of the last! They don't seem to have left any space on the map for their Marcher stations which seems odd; however for the first time they are listing Classic Gold stations, too. Daniel Cardwell The koko site looks great, but it's now even less obvious how to navigate back to the front map page. I thought this was the most awkward aspect of the original site. I think some of the Marcher stations have their own, scaled-down sites outside of koko. Though they don't look as pretty. Ed. Be a scholar and check the link First of all, I think your site is great! However, for the last few days I've tried to listen to BBC Radio Oxford (as I do on a daily basis) it doesn't seem to be streaming properly. On the list of news stations there seem to be a lot of broken links. Jane Sorry you're having problems, Jane. You wrote a while back and, having just checked the link, it seems to be working fine now. I need to run our link checker over the pages again to catch any dead links. One of these is ITN News Radio, which now seems to be available on national digital radio only, following a restructure of the ITN website. IRN has also relaunched its site and moved its audio stream. Ed. Now sporting a digital radio Thanks for your patience. I'm now back online after a short absence and, while I was away, picked up the Wavefinder digital radio. Watch out for a review coming soon. Ed --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10th November 2001 Only 35? I live in Leicester and have a Technics DAB Tuner fed by a Discone antenna in my loft. Could you tell me how many stations I should receive in my area? Where can I get a list of stations and frequencies? At the present time I can receive 35 stations I know about. Robert You may like to refer to the correspondence from Simon Parry, below. This will answer your first question. You can refer to our national station listings and also those for Coventry and Birmingham to find out a list of current and future stations - just look for the dab icon. I've held off putting up frequency block information as this is probably not necessary in future tuners. Like AM/FM radio, it is difficult to give an exact number of stations that you can actually receive, but you may improve on 35 stations. If you find you can receive more local multiplexes, please let me know so I can pass on the information. Ed --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Simon Parry wrote back suggesting a visit to