Ofcom sets out licensing plans for small-scale DAB Add to Your Pages
07 April 2020
Local radio listeners will be able to tune into new digital stations following measures announced by Ofcom today.
Ofcom is setting out how we will license small-scale DAB', an innovative technology which will provide a low-cost route for local commercial, community and specialist music stations to take to the digital airwaves.[1]
Pioneered in the UK by an Ofcom engineer, small-scale DAB uses freely available software and computer technology to transmit digital radio services and broadcast to a relatively small geographic area. It allows stations to use inexpensive equipment to get on air for far less money than was previously possible.
Small-scale DAB will expand local digital radio coverage and ensure that listeners will be able to tune into a diverse range of radio services across the UK, on the Digital Audio Broadcasting platform which now accounts for 40% of the UK's radio listening.[2]
Kevin Bakhurst, Ofcoms Content Group Director, said: Small-scale DAB is making it cheaper and easier for local stations to get on the digital airwaves, which will give more choice to listeners up and down the country.
How Ofcom will license small-scale DABWe will advertise licences for small-scale DAB in batches, starting with 25 local areas across the UK, including five where trials are already underway. The second round will be for north west England and northeast Wales.
Community radio applications, in the form of the new Community Digital Sound Programme ( C-DSP') licences, will open for each local area at the same time as the publication of multiplex licence advertisements.
Small-scale trials prove successfulOfcom has been running trials of small-scale DAB to test the technology and prove its ability to allow existing small stations as well as new services to broadcast cost-effectively on digital radio. The following stations are among those who have taken part in the trial.
Skylab RadioSkylab Radio is a music-driven radio station playing chillout, lounge, ambient, downtempo and soft house music.
Station owner Paul Teague credits small-scale DAB with an overall growth in listeners. Being part of the trial has also supported the introduction of specialist late night programming on Skylab.
Paul said: We are a small operation, and our music is specialist and largely away from the mainstream. Inclusion on the Portsmouth multiplex was a good decision as far as we were concerned, we noticed that listenership and overall interest in Skylab increased.
Strawberry RadioStrawberry Radio is named after 10cc's recording studio in Stockport. It plays hits from the last five decades, as well as new music and showcasing local talent.
The owner, Paul Taylor believes that a permanent home on small-scale DAB will allow him to take the station further and continue to offer a local radio service for Stockport.
Paul Taylor said: Small-scale DAB has enabled Strawberry Radio to take the business to the next level, from online to an actual' radio station. We can reach a wider audience to promote not only our on-air offering, but also our theatre shows and outdoor events schedule, including the Strawberry Music Festival.
Cosoro RadioCosoro Radio is an Afrobeat station based in Manchester. It can be accessed via small-scale DAB in Manchester, Glasgow, Norwich & Portsmouth.
Founder Femi Bankole believes that being on small-scale DAB has grown listener numbers and brought more people to the Afrobeat genre.
Femi Bankole said: Small-scale DAB has provided a richer and scalable platform for Cosoro Radio to extend its reach and introduce the genre to its new listeners, especially the young generation.
Solar RadioSolar Radio is a specialist soul music station broadcasting soul, jazz and blues. It has been part of small-scale DAB trials since the outset.
Managing Director Clive Richardson highlights the importance of small-scale DAB's easy availability, which means allows Solar's listeners can listen to the station in cars, workplaces and homes.
Clive Richardson said: Our listeners have expressed on social media their pleasure at the ease of access and portability that small-scale DAB brings to their of their enjoyment of Solar Radio. We look forward to being part of the on-going development of this platform.
NOTES TO EDITORS
In light of the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, and its impact on broadcasters, we have yet to finalise a date for publishing the first licence advertisements, application forms and accompanying Notes of Guidance.
Rajar Q4, 2019
Add to Your Pages
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
10/06/2026
DAZN-owned digital-media company launches three fan-first series leaning into cr...
10/06/2026
Clear-Com has announced the appointment of Jason Dino as Southwest Regional Sales Manager USA, covering Southern California and the Southwest region. Dino joins...
10/06/2026
An 11% decrease in number of global broadcast deals reflects the organization...
10/06/2026
The Women Without Boundaries Awards recognize women whose work is advancing the future of media, broadcast, AV, workplace technology, digital experience, and re...
10/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
10/06/2026
SES is supporting broadcast distribution of the world's biggest football tou...
10/06/2026
NDI has announced that BirdDog has become the first hardware manufacturer to achieve full NDI 6.3 compatibility across its complete lineup of cameras, encoders,...
10/06/2026
Vince Caputo and Scott Carter, winners of the 2026 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Post Produced Audio have been announced as presenters for the 2026 SVG Advanced A...
10/06/2026
FOX One today unveiled a slate of new product features and enhancements designed to elevate the viewing experience for fans on the official streaming platform o...
10/06/2026
Primary production partners Dome Productions and Raycom Sports once again played...
10/06/2026
The Women in Sports Filmmaking Experienceship is an immersive professional devel...
10/06/2026
The league has expanded its HSAN architecture for the NBA Finals to manage more ...
10/06/2026
The inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL) Winter Draft will take place Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at Cosm Los Angeles from 7-9 p.m. PT. The event will strea...
10/06/2026
The University of Oklahoma (OU) Athletics Department and Learfield have announce...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has released TR-06-4 Part 8, a new specification for RIST Satellite-Hybrid: Out-of-Band Method. The specification creates a mecha...
10/06/2026
Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, supporting live medical proc...
10/06/2026
A still from The Doom Generation by Gregg Araki (Courtesy of Sundance Institute)
By Lucy Spicer
Have you checked out our Sundance Film Festival 101 list yet...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Alone Australia Season 4: Meet the Cast
10 June, 2026
Media releases
WATCH THE TRAILER
Smash-hit survival series Alone Australia drops its highly anticipa...
10/06/2026
DEADLY THEN, DEADLY NOW, DEADLY ALWAYS: SBS & NITV IGNITE NAIDOC WEEK 2026 WITH ...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
Production and Development Funding supports the creation of compelling, commercially viable, artistic and culturally relevant South African screen content. Deve...
10/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
10/06/2026
Accedo, Humans not Robots, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) have announced the launch of Ecoflow X. Formerly an IBC Accelerator project, ...
10/06/2026
Frequency, the engine powering the world's leading streaming television channels, today announced that James Smith has joined the company as General Manager...
10/06/2026
At the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Lisbon, Riedel Communications provided the communications infrastructure for live medical procedures s...
10/06/2026
Globecast, a leading provider of broadcast, media, and entertainment managed services, today announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform powered by Or...
10/06/2026
Klvr will showcase how venues, integrators and production teams are rethinking disposable battery usage at InfoComm 2026 (Las Vegas, June 17-19, booth #N6311). ...
10/06/2026
The Video Services Forum (VSF) has further enhanced the Reliable Internet Streaming Transport (RIST) protocol by incorporating a new feature, RIST Satellite-Hyb...
10/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Showcases New Mobile Experience, Collections and Games Vision in APAC
Product
10 June 2026
GlobalSouth KoreaJapan
Link copied to c...
10/06/2026
Back to All News
Ready to Join? The Netflix Fan Club Arrives at Cannes Lions
Business
10 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Download all assets
N...
10/06/2026
Chemists snap together complex 3D molecules from highly reactive radicals-without losing their shape Scripps Research team develops stereoretentive radical-radi...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
Ofcom sets out licensing plans for small-scale DAB Add to Your Pages 
