DAB radio gets 12 extra stations in the UK
A new "multiplex" means more national stations.
If you have a shiny DAB radio sitting in your car or living room, now's the time to walk on over, turn it on and retune. Why? Well, a second "multiplex" has gone live in the UK today, opening up some much-needed airwaves so that a bunch of new stations can be broadcast. Once the process is complete, you should have access to the following: Share Radio, Premier Christian Radio, Fun Kids, Kisstory, Planet Rock, Absolute 80s, Sunrise Radio, Jazz FM, Awesome Radio, UCB2, Panjab Radio, and Heat.
They'll be joined by Mellow Magic and TalkSport 2 on March 15th, followed by talkRadio on March 21st and Premier Praise on March 27th. Magic Chilled will arrive a day later before Virgin Radio appears on March 30th.
DAB radio was always intended as a natural successor to AM and FM radio, promising better audio quality, easier tuning and extra station information. The technology has never quite delivered though, with countless reports of poor coverage in rural areas. The UK government is trying its best to fix the problem, but in the meantime other forms of delivery are taking hold -- streaming over the web, for instance, is becoming increasingly viable both on the move and in the home. Traditional analogue radio has also proven to be surprisingly resilient over the years, due to the fact that, well, most of the time it just works.
But if you've adopted DAB and intend to stick with it, today's expansion should be a boon. We all have our favourite radio stations, but it's nice to know there are other options for when you fancy something different.
