The deal includes Birmingham's BRMB, London's Capital 95.8, Xfm and the One and Gold networks of local radio stations across England and Wales. Global also takes control of Planet Rock and Classic FM on national DAB digital radio.

The acquisition signal's further consolidation in the industry following Bauer's GBP1.1million successful bid for Emap's radio and consumer magazine assets in January.
[Mon 31 Mar 08]


End of national DAB station? that's Life
The closure of GCap Media's adult contemporary music station Life and bebop, swing, cool and traditional jazz station the Jazz is set to take place tonight, when at 23:59 the stations cease broadcasting on national DAB radio. Life launched at the beginning of the Millennium and follows in the footsteps of two other stations Core and OneWord that have closed in this year alone. Some programming and presenters from the Jazz migrate to national station Classic FM. GCap Media has today announced its aquisition by Global Radio.

The closures leave just four full-time stations on the first national commercial digital radio multiplex, operated by Digital One.

In separate news, Planet Rock has been granted a reprieve while new owners, Global Radio, decide on the station's future.

BFBS Radio has finished its trial on the Digital One commercial multiplex and continues to be heard on the web and around the world.
[Mon 31 Mar 08]


MuxCo gains Surrey and north West Sussex licence
NME Radio will form part of the new line-up for the two counties.
[Thurs 27 Mar 08]


MuxCo heads West for next multiplex award
Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire will see DAB stations, but Powys and Ceredigion lose out.
[Thurs 27 Mar 08]


Sound and Vision 2008 - The Bristol Show
A round up of wi-fi and DAB receivers on display at the South-West's largest hi-fi event.
[Wed 12 Mar 08]


MuxCo Lincs into DAB
Lincolnshire's DAB digi multiplex is to be operated by MuxCo, it has been announced.
[Mon 25 Feb 08]


National DAB stations set to close
GCap Media's Planet Rock and the Jazz are set to close by the end of March, it has been announced. Fru Hazlitt, the company's new chief executive, has today announced a string of cost-cutting measures that also signals the end of Xfm in Manchester, Scotland and South Wales, with the licences being offered for sale.

GCap is also selling its stake in national commercial DAB operator Digital One.
[Mon 11 Feb 08]


MuxCo provides the DAB Lincs
MuxCo teams up with Lincs FM for the opportunity to run Lincolnshire's digi multiplex.
[Thurs 24 Jan 08]


DAB Doctors MuxCo win in Gloucester
Gloucestershire will launch its local DAB multiplex later this year.
[Mon 22 Jan 08]


Words are replaced by birds
The birdsong loop has once again appeared on the national commercial DAB radio multiplex. The last time the country sounds could be heard was in 2003, when Bloomberg Radio ceased broadcasting on the multiplex. Recorded by Quentin Howard, Chief Executive of Digital One, in his back garden, the sound was first used before the launch of Classic FM.

Oneword listeners, having lost their station, can now hear country sounds on the same channel. Oneword closed on 12th January for financial reasons.
[Sun 13 Jan 08]


May the forces be with you
For the first time in its 65 year history, British forces radio BFBS is broadcasting across the UK. The station has taken Core's place on the Digital One national commercial DAB multiplex. The station is broadcasting in stereo on DAB digital for a trial period.

The station launched on DAB digital radio on 12th January.
[Sun 13 Jan 08]


Core - blimey it's closing
National DAB station Core is closing on Friday 11th January, it has been announced. The station will be replaced by an as-yet unannounced service on Saturday, 12th January, likely to be another top 40 chart station [How about Capital 95.8? Ed]. Core launched in November 1999, vying to be commercial radio's answer to Radio 1, but ultimately failing to make a dent in the BBC's younger audience.

Core axed presenters at the end of March 2007 and dropped from stereo to mono output in December 2006. The news also follows theJazz' switch from mono to stereo earlier this month, as a result of the removal of the BBC's mobile TV service from the multiplex.
[Thurs 10 Jan 08]


Oneword : off
Thanks to the withdrawal of one of UBC Media's business partners, Oneword radio will cease broadcasting on 12th January 2008. The station began broadcasting on 2nd May 2000 on the UK's first national commercial digital radio multiplex. Channel 4 sold its 51 percent stake in the speech station to UBC Media for a nominal GBP1.00 before Christmas. Oneword has failed to make a profit since its launch, leading UBC Media to look for an exit strategy. The replacement service is rumoured to be talk-and-soul station Colourful, which had planned to launch on NGW's national commercial DAB multiplex. 4 Digital Group beat NGW for the licence last July, leaving Colourful's DAB plans in the balance.
[Thurs 10 Jan 08]


It's no Fun in Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff and Newport...
Childrens station Fun Radio has been removed from the local DAB digital radio multiplexes serving Bournemouth, Bristol & Bath, Cardiff & Newport, Swindon & West Wiltshire, Reading & Basingstoke, Essex, Kent and the Sussex coast.

The station joined several local DAB digital radio multiplexes following the closure of teens station Capital Disney in late June last year, but has itself now been removed for financial reasons.
[Thurs 10 Jan 08]


Get Real in the North-East or North-West? Not for long
Real Radio digital, the adult contemporary music station on regional DAB in the North-East and North-West of England will make way for 106.1 Rock Radio when it launches on 6th May this year. 106.1 will broadcast to Manchester and surrounding area, but its inclusion on two large regional multiplexes will see the station reach a potential audience of millions.
[Thurs 10 Jan 08]


Gemini FM Torbay progs not required on local DAB
Gemini FM's Torbay programmes will not now need to be carried on the local DAB multiplex serving Exeter and Torbay. When the multiplex originally launched in Autumn 2002, it was planned to broadcast two versions of Gemini FM - one for Exeter and one for Torquay. Over 5 years later, this requirement has now been lifted following an application to the media regulator, Ofcom.
[Thurs 10 Jan 08]


Talk of a new station joining Liverpool DAB mux
CityTalk will join Liverpool's local DAB digital radio multiplex at launch time, it has been announced. The station, which will also broadcast on 105.9FM, launches on 28th January 2008.
[Thurs 10 Jan 08]


North-East full of Smoothies
The new regional easy listening station for the North-East of England, Smooth Radio launched on 8th January 2008 on 97.5FM serving Newcastle, Northumberland and parts of Durham, 107.5 in Fenham, 107.7 in Teesside and 101.2 at Newton, serving the Tyne Valley and Hexham.
The station also joins the regional DAB digital radio multiplex, replacing the London version of Smooth.
[Thurs 10 Jan 08]


African music station joins London III
Rainbow Radio, the music and talk station for the African communities in London, will begin broadcasting on DAB digital radio on London's 3rd digital radio multiplex from Monday, January 14th 2008.
[Thurs 10 Jan 08]


Get out of the Groove
SMG has turned off its soul and Motown music station Virgin Radio Groove and removed it from London's 3rd digital radio multiplex, where it was broadcasting in the evening. The station closed in late 2007 as a result of cutbacks at parent company SMG. Virgin Radio Viva will not now be joining 4 Digital Group's DAB multiplex for the same reason.
[Thurs 10 Jan 08]


Tonnes of new DAB listeners in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge
Now Digital has extended coverage of its Kent DAB digital radio multiplex with a new transmitter serving Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge. The transmitter was switched on just before Christmas. It means local stations such as Invicta FM and BBC Radio Kent can be picked up on a DAB radio in and around the towns.
[Sun 13 Jan 08]

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