Switch Aberdeen

Switch Aberdeen
Licensed areaAberdeenshire
Frequency11C (220.352 MHz)
Air date3 December 2001 [1]
OwnerUTV Radio
Websiteutvdab.co.uk

Switch Aberdeen is the name of the DAB multiplex operator for the Aberdeen area. The company was one of two applicants for the licence - the other was from Score Digital. The service is currently carried on three transmitters and as required, has to carry the two BBC regional services, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio nan Gaidheal.

Transmitter sites

Switch Aberdeen currently broadcasts on the following sites: [2]

Transmitter kW Area
Meldrum 8.51 Most of Aberdeenshire
Durris 2 Stonehaven & Southern Aberdeenshire
Mormond Hill 1 Peterhead & Fraserburgh

Current line-up of services

The stations currently carried on Switch Aberdeen are:[3]

Service Service ID Bit rate Audio channels Description Analogue availability
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal C336 128 kbit/s Joint stereo BBC regional service 103.5 - 105.0 MHz
810 kHz
BBC Radio Scotland C635 128 kbit/s Joint stereo BBC regional service 92.4 - 94.7 MHz
Kerrang! 105.2 C6CF 80 kbit/s Mono Rock music, relayed from Birmingham
Kiss C483 128 kbit/s Joint stereo Dance and urban music, relayed from London
NECR C5B4 64 kbit/s Mono Local community radio service 102.1 MHz (Aberdeen)
Northsound 1 C8B1 128 kbit/s Joint stereo Local FM service 96.9 MHz (Aberdeenshire)
97.6 MHz (Aberdeen)
103.0 MHz (Peterhead)
Northsound 2 C1C9 128 kbit/s Joint stereo Local AM service 1035 kHz (Aberdeenshire)
Waves FM C6B6 64 kbit/s Mono Local service for Peterhead 101.2 MHz

Original line-up

The following is the original line-up on the platform and what happened, if anything.

Service Description Current status
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal BBC regional Gaelic service Still operating
BBC Radio Scotland BBC regional service Still operating
The Lounge Easy listening and smooth classics Closed by The Wireless Group in Spring 2002 cost-cutting exercise, replaced with Smash Hits Radio
Ministry of Sound Radio The "Digital Dancefloor" Closed in December 2002, replaced by Kiss
NECR Local community radio service Still operating
Northsound 1 Local FM service Still operating
Northsound 2 Local AM service Still operating
The Rhythm Classic soul hits Service was never launched
Ritz Country Country music Company went bust, eventually replaced with Kerrang! 105.2
Waves FM Local service for Peterhead Still operating

Other services

The following list are other services which were available at some point on the platform: [4]

Service What happened
Kiss Replaced by Magic 105.4 in May 2008
Magic 105.4 Replaced by Kiss
Smash Hits Radio Removed by Bauer Radio in February 2006, never replaced

References

  1. Radiocentre Commercial Radio Pocket Booklet 2007
  2. Radio Listeners Guide 2010
  3. Radio Authority & CRCA Pocket Booklets (2000 - 2007)