Digital One
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Digital One is a national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, jointly owned by GCap Media and Arqiva and transmitted on frequency block 11D in England and Wales and on 12A in Scotland. It broadcasts the following channels receivable on any digital-equipped DAB radio:
- Classic FM - national commercial classical music station, also on FM
- Core - semi-automated pop music station aimed at younger listeners
- Capital Life - automated adult contemporary music station
- Oneword - plays, books, comedy and discussions
- Planet Rock - semi-automated rock music station
- talkSPORT - national sports and talk station, also on 1089/1053 AM
- theJazz - jazz music station
- Virgin Radio - national rock music station, also 1215 AM & 105.8 FM in London
The multiplex formerly broadcast a financial news station provided by Bloomberg, and a rolling news station provided by ITN. These ceased to broadcast within several months of one another in 2003, and replacement audio services were never found due to a commitment in Digital One's broadcasting licence to provide a news station. This resulted in a station playing a loop of birdsong and ambient sounds, entitled D1 Temp which broadcast for almost two years. In June 2005, the capacity formerly used by the speech services, and later by the birdsong, was given over to a test transmission of video to mobile phones.
On September 19, 2006, Digital One announced that a new jazz station, theJazz [1] from GCap Media would launch on the multiplex on December 25, 2006. The new jazz station takes the place vacated by PrimeTime Radio. [2] [3]
The multiplex covers approximately 87% of the UK population from a total of 103 transmitters. It has been announced that further transmitters will be commissioned during 2006 to extend coverage. It has no coverage, however, in Northern Ireland, where there is a shortage of frequencies due to nearby VHF analogue TV services in the Republic of Ireland.
