DAB (digital audio broadcasting) has just added a further 12 stations in the UK.
That’s because
These are: Share Radio, Premier Christian Radio, Fun Kids, Kisstory, Planet Rock, Absolute 80s, Sunrise Radio, Jazz FM, Awesome Radio, UCB2, Panjab Radio and Heat.
But that’s not all. On March 15, DAB will also add Mellow Magic and talkSport 2, then talkRadio will join on March 21 and Premier Praise on March 27.
Magic Chilled will arrive on March 28, followed by Virgin Radio on March 30.
To get these stations, you’ll have to retune your radio – just press the Autotune, AutoScan or Scan button and it’ll do the rest.
These additions should be a massive leg-up to DAB. The technology hasn’t quite delivered on its promise – while it mostly offers better audio quality, easier tuning and more station information, it has suffered from poor coverage in rural areas. This update won’t fix that problem, but it will put a few more strings in DAB’s bow.
Read more: Best DAB Radio 2016: Which digital radio should you buy?
The regulators are working to improve DAB radio. Ofcom has trialled smaller, cheaper DAB transmitter set-ups across the UK – these cover no more than 40 per cent of existing local DAB multiplexes, and offer smaller commercial stations the chance to broadcast digitally to listeners nearby.
Of course, there’s also the option of streaming over the web. With better broadband speeds and technologies like 4G now covering large parts of the UK, this is an increasingly attractive proposition.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.