BBC National DAB
{{short description|British digital audio broadcasting multiplex}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox DAB ensemble
|name=BBC National DAB
|area=United Kingdom
|frequency=12B (225.648 MHz)
|owner=BBC
|website=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/help-guides/dab-radio www.bbc.co.uk]
}}BBC National DAB is a digital audio broadcasting multiplex in the UK, for a number of radio stations which have UK wide coverage. The multiplex is owned and operated by the BBC and is transmitted from a number of transmitter sites across the country; it only carries BBC radio stations.
As of the end of 2017, more than 97% of the UK's population are within reach of the multiplex following the completion of the switching on of a fourth set of new transmitters over the previous two years which had seen the reach increase from 93%.{{Cite web |url=https://www.a516digital.com/2017/11/arqiva-confirms-bbc-dab-rollout.html |title=Arqiva confirms BBC DAB rollout complete |access-date=2018-07-22 |archive-date=2019-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216102849/https://www.a516digital.com/2017/11/arqiva-confirms-bbc-dab-rollout.html |url-status=dead }} Any further expansion of DAB radio is awaiting a decision by government on any possible digital radio switchover.
Stations carried
The following channels are receivable on any digital-equipped DAB radio in the BBC National DAB coverage area:
=Full time services=
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Service !Service ID !Bit rate !Audio channels !Description !Analogue availability |
| BBC Radio 1
|C221 |128 kbit/s |Youth-orientated popular music |97.1 - 99.8 MHz |
| BBC Radio 2
|C222 |128 kbit/s |Joint stereo |Adult-oriented popular music |88.1 - 90.2 MHz |
| BBC Radio 3
|C223 |160-192 kbit/s |Joint stereo |90.3 - 92.6 MHz |
| BBC Radio 4
|C224 |80-128 kbit/s |Mono / joint stereo |News, drama and speech |92.5 - 96.1 MHz |
| BBC Radio 5 Live
|C225 |64-80 kbit/s |Mono |Live news and sport |693, 909, 990 kHz and BBC Local Radio overnight |
| BBC Radio 6 Music
|C22B |128 kbit/s |Joint stereo |— |
| BBC Radio 1Xtra
|C22A |128 kbit/s |Joint stereo |Black contemporary music |— |
| BBC Radio 4 Extra
|C22C |80 kbit/s |Mono |Archive comedy and drama |— |
| BBC Asian Network
|C236 |64 kbit/s |Mono |South Asian orientated music |Various MW |
| BBC World Service
|C238 |64 kbit/s |Mono |International news and current affairs |On Radio 4 frequencies between 01:00 and 05:00 daily |
| BBC Guide
|E1C79E5E |16-32 kbit/s |Data |Hidden service, EPG data |— |
=Part time services=
The BBC National DAB multiplex makes use of dynamic ensemble reconfiguration to allow a number of part-time services to broadcast. While these additional services are on air the bit rates of (one or more of) BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live, and data services are reduced.
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Station Name ! Description |
| BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
|Live sport - broadcasts either Test Match Special or a second sporting event when BBC Radio 5 Live is also broadcasting live sport. |
=Former services=
Two regularly-scheduled BBC Radio 4 long-wave programmes were, prior to April 2024, provided to DAB listeners by way of dynamic daily opt-outs which popped up on the national DAB multiplex. With the cessation of separate scheduling on long wave from 1 April 2024, these programmes were relocated to broadcast on Radio 4 Extra, ending use of the dynamic pop-ups for these.
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Station Name ! Description |
| Yesterday In Parliament
|Radio 4 LW opt-out simulcast; weekdays 08:30-09:00; Saturdays 08:45-09:00. |
| The Daily Service
|Christian Music and Worship, Radio 4 LW opt-out simulcast; weekdays 09:45-10:00. |
="Pop-up" services=
The BBC has experimented with short-term "pop-up" digital radio stations, each broadcasting for approximately four days at a time, covering music festivals and other special events. The first to broadcast was BBC Radio 5 Live Olympics Extra in 2012, then BBC Radio 2 Eurovision launched for the first time in 2014, and was joined by BBC Radio 2 Country, BBC Music Jazz in 2015 and BBC Radio 2 50s in April 2016. When these temporary stations are on air, there is normally a reduction in bit rate of their parent station.
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Station Name !Description |
| BBC 5 Live Olympics Extra
|Available during 2012 Summer Olympics with coverage consisting of sports commentaries. |
| BBC Radio 2 Eurovision
|Launched in May 2014 to extend the BBC's coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest. Returned in 2015 to provide coverage of the 2015 contest. |
| BBC Radio 2 Country
|Launched in March 2015 to provide coverage of London's C2C: Country to Country Country music festival. Returned in 2016 to cover the 2016 festival and again in 2017. |
| BBC Music Jazz
|Launched in November 2015 as a joint venture between BBC Radio 3 and Jazz FM, with programming celebrating jazz music in all its varied forms. |
| BBC Radio 2 50s
|Launched in April 2016 as a celebration of the music and entertainment of the 1950s. |
| BBC Radio 1 Vintage
|Available in September 2017 as a celebration of BBC Radio 1's 50th anniversary. |
| BBC Radio 2 Beatles
|Launched in September 2019 as a celebration of 50 years of the Beatles album Abbey Road featuring interviews on how the album was created and how it influenced the next generation of music artists. |
=Planned station closures=
In 2010, the BBC published plans to close BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Asian Network.{{cite news|title=BBC 6 Music and Asian Network face axe in shake up|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8544150.stm|work=BBC News|date=2 March 2010 |access-date=2 March 2010}} These plans were later rejected, saving both stations from closure. Radio 6 Music was retained after listening figures increased and a campaign was set up on Facebook, which gained 180,000 supporters.{{cite news|title=BBC Trust rejects 6 Music closure plan|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10507286|work=BBC News|date=5 July 2010 |access-date=5 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721102133/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10507286|archive-date=21 July 2010|url-status=live}}
=Future services=
In February 2024, the BBC proposed launching four services on DAB+ and BBC Sounds. The services will be sister stations to BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3, plus BBC Radio 1 Dance. The plans are subject to the relevant regulatory approvals, including a Public Interest Test for the proposal to launch the stations via DAB+, a process which the BBC will start in the coming weeks and is expected to run until the end of 2024.{{Cite web |title=Plans announced for new, distinctive digital music stations as extensions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/plans-digital-music-stations-extensions-bbc-radio-1-bbc-radio-2-bbc-radio-3/ |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}
See also
References
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