Year: 2025

Applications have opened for the final round of small-scale DAB radio multiplex licences, covering 40 areas across the UK.

This eighth round marks the last stage of Ofcom’s programme, which has already led to 75 multiplexes going live across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Once complete, the initiative will support more than 100 small-scale multiplexes nationwide.
Each multiplex licence allows community services, specialist music stations and stations aimed at under-served groups to broadcast on digital radio. Ofcom says this expansion is designed to give listeners more choice and to provide opportunities for stations that may not otherwise reach digital audiences.
The new areas now open for applications include towns and regions across all four nations.
Licences are also being re-advertised for several locations where they have not yet been awarded.
Ofcom has set the closing date for applications as 5pm on 10 December this year. In addition to multiplex operators, the regulator is also encouraging applications from organisations who want to provide a Community Digital Sound Programme (C-DSP) service on small-scale DAB.
Areas are:

Aberystwyth
Andover
Armagh
Ballymena
Barnsley
Barnstaple & Bideford
Brecon
Burton-on-Trent & Lichfield
Bury St Edmunds, Thetford & Mildenhall
Cheltenham & Tewkesbury
Chesterfield
Chippenham & Malmesbury
Coleraine
Cookstown & Dungannon
East Cornwall
East Edinburgh & South Forth coast
Falmouth, Penzance & Redruth
Gairloch
Girvan & Cumnock
Grantham & Sleaford
Grimsby
Kilmarnock
Leamington Spa & Stratford-upon-Avon
Mansfield & Worksop
Monmouth
Newbury
Newquay, St Austell & Truro
North Powys
Omagh
Perth
Peterlee
Pitlochry & Aberfeldy
Scunthorpe
Skye & Lochalsh
South Hams
South Powys
Stroud
Telford & Shrewsbury
Tiverton
Ullapool

Plus:

Berwickshire & Roxburgh
Chester
Derby
Dundee & North East Fife
Guildford & Woking
Lincoln
Kintyre, Islay & Jura
South West Fife
South West Sussex
Weymouth & Dorchester

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Radiocentre has confirmed more speakers for Tuning In 2025, taking place at Kings Place in London on Tuesday 23 September.

Absolute Radio presenter and political comedian Matt Forde will take to the stage fresh from his Edinburgh Fringe run, giving a humorous forecast of the UK’s political outlook at a time of change for both the media and advertising sectors.
Radiocentre’s Head of Insight Donna Burns will reveal exclusive new findings from the second phase of the ‘Performance Multiplier’ study, which looks at how radio advertising drives web traffic and improves campaign efficiency.
She will be joined by AO’s Director of Brand Arafa Heneghan, in conversation with host Tyler West, to discuss how the company has used radio as part of its marketing strategy.
Planning Director Mark Barber will be joined by Jane Christian from Choreograph UK to present a new research project called ‘High Gain Audio’, exploring how brands can use multi-platform audio to amplify return on investment.
Elsewhere, Radioville Managing Director Sean Carnegie will appear alongside Diane Morgan in a session on Radiocentre’s ‘Advertising Amplified’ campaign, sharing advice on how advertisers can get the most from audio creative and voice talent.
These speakers join previously announced guests including Gaby Roslin and Nicki Chapman from Magic Radio, Radioplayer Worldwide’s Yann Legarson, and Bauer Media Advertising’s Simon Kilby.
Tuning In is Radiocentre’s flagship event focusing on audio advertising and is free to attend for advertisers, agencies and Radiocentre member stations. More details and registration can be found at Radiocentre.

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Ofcom has launched a consultation on proposals that would require digital radio multiplex operators to publish details of the charges paid by stations for carriage.

The regulator says the change would make pricing more transparent by introducing a requirement for multiplex operators to provide up-to-date “rate cards” setting out costs for radio services seeking carriage.
A similar transparency requirement already applies to small-scale DAB multiplexes, and the proposed extension would bring local and national operators in line.
It would affect operators such as Arqiva, which is highly secretive about its pricing, and will only discuss rates after potential clients sign an NDA.
Local multiplex operator MuxCo already lists rate card prices for its platforms on its website.
Matt Deegan from MuxCo tells RadioToday: “We’ve always been clear with pricing when potential clients get in touch, and earlier this year we started publishing rate cards for our MuxCo-owned multiplexes on our website.
“We look forward to responding to Ofcom’s consultation”
In its release, Ofcom said: “We are proposing that multiplex operators must publish up to date ‘rate cards’ about the payments to be made by radio stations seeking carriage on the multiplex. This is intended to ensure radio services have greater transparency about charges.”
The consultation is open until 4 November 2025, with a final decision expected in early 2026.
More information and the consultation document can be found on the Ofcom website.

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