Ed Vaizey switches on Oxford local digital radio
New transmitters bring more DAB stations to local listener.
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey switched on the new local DAB digital radio signal at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford today, enabling 300,000 Oxford area listeners to tune in to local DAB stations - including BBC Radio Oxford, Jack FM, Heart, Capital and Gold.
“I’m very happy to be switching on these new transmitters,” said Ed Vaizey. “Boosting local coverage means the excellent range of local DAB digital radio stations can be received by even more listeners, at home and in their cars.”
New transmitters
The two new transmitters at Oxford and Farthinghoe take local digital radio coverage from zero to 61% of households, add over 200 miles of road coverage and bring local DAB digital radio to areas in Oxford, Abingdon, Bicester and Banbury for the first time.
A further transmitter launch is planned in SW Oxford next year and with new transmitters in the coming years.
Many listeners in these areas already have digital radios and listen to more than 20 national stations on digital radio, from commercial radio and the BBC - but until now they have been unable to listen to their favourite local radio stations on DAB. Listeners can check what stations they can receive at getdigitalradio.com
UK wide investment
The Oxford switch-on is part of a major radio industry investment in building local digital coverage across the UK.
Further information
- Read full news story on Digital Radio UK website
- [Digital broadcasting - what we do
](http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/broadcasting/3170.aspx)