UK

Hospital station WWL Radio is re-applying for the Wigan small-scale DAB licence.

A licence for the town was awarded by Ofcom to Wigan & St Helens Community Media CIC, but was revoked after it failed to launch within 18 months.
It was backed by a local arts centre which had a change in financial circumstances and pulled the plug on the DAB project.
Now, Wigan DAB, which was the ‘runner up’ for the original licence, is applying again under the consortium made up of Kevin Riley of WWL (previously known as Wrightington Hospital Radio) with the help of Niocast Digital, local broadcasters Darren Ofsarnie and Phil England plus long-standing senior radio executives Chris Hurst and Ron Smith.
WWL has been broadcasting to the area’s three hospitals since the 1970s with initial sports broadcasts dating back to the early 50s.
Kevin Riley, station secretary says: “We are looking forward to developing a DAB platform for the residents of Wigan and St Helens. WWL has for some time recognised its community of interest goes beyond the hospitals themselves as outpatient services have expanded significantly over the years.
“small-scale DAB gives us a great opportunity to broadcast to that wider community and develop our service not least in the provision of positive health messaging we already hold the necessary CDSP licence. Alongside our own station we aim to deliver a rich and diverse range of radio services for the area.”
With a population of nearly 600,000, anyone interested in adding a radio service to the Wigan Multiplex is invited to make contact via the website WiganDAB.co.uk. […]

Walsall community station Ambur Radio is leading an application for the small-scale DAB multiplex in Walsall.
Walsall DAB Ltd has been established by Ambur Radio station director Priya Singh with the help of Niocast Digital, West Midlands community radio station WCR fm, and long standing senior radio executive Chris Hurst.
The collaboration brings together a unique combination of skills, local knowledge, radio experience and a real passion for Walsall.
“Ambur Radio launched in 2009 and has been a very popular multicultural station ever since broadcasting in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujrati amongst other” says Priya.
“And we’ve been planning the move to DAB for some time now. We’re looking forward to the quality that DAB will deliver and being able to reach lots more listeners.”
With a population of nearly 400,000, anyone interested in adding a radio service to the Walsall Multiplex is invited to make contact via the website WalsallDAB.co.uk […]

UlsterMUX has launched a small scale DAB Service across Newry, Armagh, and Down Newry in Northern Ireland using ten transmitters.
Operating on DAB Block 9c, UlsterMUX has constructed a network of transmission sites to deliver coverage from Dromore to Banbridge and extending to the City of Newry and beyond to the border at Dundalk.
The service will also encompass Castlewellan, Kilkeel, Warrenpoint, Crossmaglen, and Forkhill, making it the largest small scale DAB network in operation across the UK to date.
Radio stations on the network so far include Bounce Digital (Banbridge) and Lisburn Live, as well as a Newry based Country and Irish music station WILD.
Radio Caroline will also be on board, commemorating its 60-year legacy in the area of its conception in 1964.
Additionally, listeners can look forward to a specialist station catering to the Punjabi community, a dedicated rock/pop station for Northern Ireland, Eirewave, and a nostalgic 70s, 80s, and 90s Rewind music service which will become very festive from November.
“We are thrilled to bring this innovative DAB service to the region, enhancing radio accessibility and diversity for our communities,” said John Gartlan, CTO of UlsterMUX.
“Our extensive network ensures excellent coverage and provides a new platform for stations to connect with audiences in Newry, Armagh, Down, and beyond.”
Olivier Mauxion, owner of one of the stations on the network, Eirewave, expressed his excitement: “I would like to extend a special thanks to John Gartlan for his exceptional work. His dedication to delivering high-quality audio and his openness to our requests for metadata and our quirky ideas have been invaluable.
“This new coverage is a pivotal step for Eirewave as we continue to grow in Northern Ireland. Our enhanced reach on DAB+ will enable more listeners to enjoy our programmes without interruption. We are committed to engaging with all the multiplexes that will open in Northern Ireland in the future.”
For further information, visit ulstermux.com or contact info@ulstermux.com. […]

Dr Hilary Jones has joined forces with Radio News Hub to launch his first-ever radio show.

The 30-minute weekly programme will be supported by Healthspan and starts on July 25th free of charge to all existing clients.
As the Health Editor for ITV’s Good Morning Britain and Lorraine, Dr Hilary is a household name who is dedicated to helping millions understand the most important health stories of our time.
Dr Hilary Jones says: “I know how important it is for people to get the right advice that can help improve their health and their happiness.
“There is so much information, news and content available to us that it can be hard to know what to trust and what is relevant for individuals and their loved ones.
“So, in addition to my work with ITV, my new show will see me act as a guide through the stories and topics that matter most to us all. I will be bringing together leading experts and people with lived experience to help unpack the most important health and medical topics.
“It will also be a fun show though, filled with uplifting and hopeful stories, and we will be hearing how life’s ups and downs have impacted the health and wellbeing of some of the country’s best- known celebrities. Come and join me!”
To find out more about how you can sign up, get in touch via the Radio News Hub website. […]

Sports news bulletins on GBNews Radio are now being powered by AI and voiced by a clone of a newsreader.

The 30-second updates are broadcast at 30 minutes past the hour on the radio between 6.30am to 11.30pm each day following the main news summary, with the content delivered using the virtual voice of news presenter Tatiana Sanchez.
The bulletins are created using AI summaries from the latest sports stories on the channel’s website.
GB News’ Chief Digital Officer Geoff Marsh said: “We’re already using AI across our editorial operation to enhance everything we do and provide a better experience for our millions of loyal viewers, listeners and digital users.
Have a listen: […]

A Hits Radio East Yorkshire listener has been given the chance to be an onboard announcer for the day with Hull Trains.

Sharon Blagdon was crowned the best voice in East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire by listeners to the station.
As part of her prize, Sharon also won a pair of First Class tickets for a return journey to London and the chance to use the Hull-based operator’s train simulator which is based in the city. The equipment was recently launched at Hull Trains’ Learning and Development Academy in the K2 building.
Sharon, who was tasked with reading a variety of onboard announcements on her return journey to Selby, was accompanied by breakfast show presenters Alex and Nicola.
Lou Mendham, Service Delivery Director at Hull Trains, said: “We were thrilled to take part in this exciting competition with Hits Radio. Our customers and on-board team were particularly impressed with Sharon’s announcing skills, she was a natural!
“We’re proud to be part of the local communities we serve and providing opportunities like this one really showcases that. If seeing Sharon have a go at announcing has inspired you, then we’re always on the lookout for talented people to join us. We have a great team at Hull Trains who all deliver a wide range of services across a variety of roles.”

Winner Sharon loved the experience. She said: “It was amazing to be part of the day with Hull Trains and I was made to feel so welcome by all the team.
“I’ll admit that I was a little nervous, but Alex and Nicola put me at ease for the big announcements on board. Thanks to everyone for such a great experience. I can’t wait to book my First Class tickets to London now… I’ll leave the announcements on that journey to the professionals though!”
Presenters Alex and Nicola, who are heard across the region, said: “Thanks to Hull Trains for an amazing day. The whole on-board team were fantastic and they went above and beyond to keep us comfy… we even got to sample their delicious new First Class menu and some treats from the trolly.
“It wasn’t quite the ‘normal’ Hull Trains experience… We had a go at serving some drinks and our trolley service left a lot to be desired! However, we think our winner Sharon smashed it with the train announcements. Thankfully, normal service has now resumed.” […]