Sheffield & Rotherham DAB
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Small-scale radio multiplex licence Application form – Part A (public) Name of applicant (i.e. the body corporate that will hold the licence): Sheffield & Rotherham DAB Ltd Multiplex licence area being applied for (note this must be a small-scale multiplex area currently being advertised by Ofcom): Sheffield & Rotherham Contact details for Ofcom: Name: Chris Hurst Email: [email protected] Address: 68 Carter Knowle Road, Sheffield, England, S7 2DX Publication date: 1 September 2020 Small-scale radio multiplex licence: application form (Part A) 2 Extent of proposed coverage area 2.1 Provide a summary, fully consistent with the more detailed information about transmission sites supplied separately in Part B, of the coverage area proposed to be achieved by your technical plan. This should include a description of the target area you are seeking to serve within the advertised licence area, and also any areas you are aiming to serve outside the advertised licence area for this small-scale radio multiplex service. (You may refer to your coverage prediction in the response you provide): Sheffield is the most geographically diverse city in England. It is roughly one third urban, one third rural and one third in the Peak District. The topography is famous for presenting challenges when it comes to broadcast coverage. Lying in the eastern foothills of the Pennines, the city nestles in a natural amphitheatre created by several hills and the confluence of five rivers. Accordingly, much of the city’s urban housing is built on hillsides, with the city centre beneath, isolated by a ring of hills. At its lowest point the city stands just 29 metres above sea level at Blackburn Meadows on the Rotherham border, rising up to over 500 m in some parts of the city. Our proposition is founded on three principles: 1. Delivery of a reliable, consistent and high-quality DAB service to as much of the indoor population of Sheffield and Rotherham (within Ofcom’s defined Polygon area) as possible; 2. Working to the original DCMS/Ofcom objective to make DAB affordable for community radio, small independent commercial stations and start-up services. 3. Achieving the above within a sustainable, long-term business plan. From the outset we recognised that this was not going to be easy in such a unique landscape and the imperative of serving both Sheffield and Rotherham was going to demand, at the very least, a two-site solution. The densely populated suburbs of Sheffield, including Handsworth, Heeley, Sharrow, Crosspool , Attercliffe, Wadsley Bridge and Hillsborough will all receive excellent coverage. Critically, we have managed to agree a solution that will allow unbroken reception along the A6109 / A6178 corridor between Sheffield and Rotherham. Coverage throughout Rotherham and surrounds is also excellent. Overspill is low in general and this is concentrated to the south east of the Polygon around Ulley, Flanderwell and Morthen. These are low-population density communities that have a natural affinity with Rotherham. Sheffield city centre coverage is something we intend to review following launch. There may be a case for an additional lower-power relay to bring indoor coverage into line with the higher elevation surrounding areas. Copyright Sheffield & Rotherham DAB Ltd 2020 1 Small-scale radio multiplex licence: application form (Part A) 2.2 Please provide a coverage prediction map for the whole transmitter network you are proposing to build within 18 months if you are awarded a licence. The map should show the 63 dBµV/m field strength and the advertised small-scale DAB licence area contour. Small-scale DAB licence areas in GIS format are available on the Ofcom website. A full coverage prediction map for the whole transmitter network is provided in a separate document. It shows the 63 dBµV/m field strength (as well as the 54 dBµV/m and 38dBµV/m contours). The 38dBµV/m contour does not indicate any significant co- frequency block interference in neighbouring polygons. The ward-level tables indicate that at 63 dBµV/m field strength; • the number of people falling outside the polygon does not exceed 30% of the total population within the advertised licence area; and • the proposed coverage does not overlap more than 40% of the population within the relevant local radio multiplex service’s licensed area. Copyright Sheffield & Rotherham DAB Ltd 2020 2 Small-scale radio multiplex licence: application form (Part A) 2.3 Please provide the following details of the prediction software used for your coverage assessments: Provide the name and version of the ATDI HTZ Communications v22.6.9 prediction tool used. A digital elevation model (DEM) representation Detail the terrain model used by the of ground surface topography or terrain. Also software and its resolution. referred to as a digital terrain model (DTM). Resolution is a DTM step of 30mtrs with IMG (image) step of 0.022mtrs The height, extent, and location of groundcover Detail the ground cover (clutter) data elements ("clutter") are the factors which used by the software and its primarily govern the impact on radio signals. resolution. The RF planning tool reasonably locates the boundary between adjacent clutter types to 10m using the Holt UK clutter model What propagation algorithm has been used? ITU-R 370 (propagation model valid from 30 MHz to 1000 MHz) Where multiple sites are proposed, describe what methodology has been The Monte-Carlo method used to assess the network (SFN) gain If these predictions have not used Ofcom-provided population data, 2011 Census (adults 15+) state what population data has been ATDI included population data supplemented used and its source. by Office for National Statistics (ONS), National Records of Scotland (NRS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) Have your predictions been generated by a commercial organisation? If so, Coverage predictions have been generated by by whom? Viamux using HTZ Communications software from ATDI. Copyright Sheffield & Rotherham DAB Ltd 2020 3 Small-scale radio multiplex licence: application form (Part A) 3 Ability to establish the proposed service Applicant’s details 3.1 Name of applicant (i.e. the body corporate that will hold the licence): Sheffield & Rotherham DAB Ltd 3.2 Company registration number stated on Companies House (if applicable): 12953870 3.3 For UK registered companies, the address of the applicant’s registered office stated on Companies House. For non-UK registered companies, the principal office address: 68 Carter Knowle Road, Sheffield, England, S7 2DX 3.4 If a UK registered company, is the current Memorandum and Articles of Association document available on the Companies House website? YES 3.5 Contact details of the individual duly authorised by the applicant for the purposes of making this application. This individual should be the company secretary or a director. Full name Chris Hurst Job title CEO Dee Radio Group Address 68 Carter Knowle Road, Sheffield, England, S7 2DX Telephone 0114 400 0136 Mobile 07899 842264 phone Email [email protected] Copyright Sheffield & Rotherham DAB Ltd 2020 4 Small-scale radio multiplex licence: application form (Part A) Ownership and control of company which will hold the licence Details of officers, participants and shareholders of the applicant 3.6 Please provide the following details for each director or designated member of the applicant: Full name Correspondence Country Other officerships held (and Other of address1 of nature of the business employment individual residence concerned) Akash 68 Carter UK Director: Carousel Europe Digital Hashmi Knowle Road, LTD; Sheffield & Rotherham Copywriter Sheffield, DAB Ltd England, S7 2DX Asian Radio Live (C-DSP license being applied for) Martin Unit 7, 1 St. UK Director: Penfm Media C.I.C. Regional Sugden Marys Street, (11737308); Penistone Technical Penistone, Community Radio Ltd Manager Sheffield, (06257320); Giant Radio Ltd BMW UK England, S36 (07102878); Sheffield & 6DT Rotherham DAB Ltd (Small- scale DAB multiplex applicant) Chris Hurst Archway House, UK Director: Silk FM Ltd and None Station Road, Dee 106.3 Ltd (Commercial Chester, United radio stations). Kingdom, CH1 Director: Muxco North East 3DR Wales and West Cheshire Ltd (DAB local multiplex operator) Director: Edinburgh DAB Ltd; Cardiff DAB Ltd; South Birmingham DAB Ltd; Leeds DAB Radio Ltd; and Sheffield & Rotherham DAB Ltd (Small-scale DAB multiplex applicants) Copyright Sheffield & Rotherham DAB Ltd 2020 5 Small-scale radio multiplex licence: application form (Part A) Infocus 55 Leeds Road, UK Director: Sheffield & N/A Digital Bradford, Rotherham DAB Ltd (Small- Media Ltd England, BD1 scale DAB multiplex 5AF applicant) Niocast 20 Crewe Road, UK Corporate Director: N/A Digital Sandbach, Edinburgh DAB Ltd; Cardiff Cheshire CW11 DAB Ltd; South Birmingham 4NE DAB Ltd; Leeds DAB Radio Ltd; and Sheffield & Rotherham DAB Ltd (Small- scale DAB multiplex applicants) 3.7 Please identify any entities with which the applicant is affiliated: (If this question is not applicable to the applicant please respond “N/A” in the table.) Full name of the entity Address Infocus Digital Media 55 Leeds Road, Little Germany, Bradford, England, BD1 5AF Ltd Penistone Community Unit 7 No 1 St. Marys Street, Penistone, Sheffield, S36 6DT Radio Ltd Carousel Europe Ltd 68 Carter Knowle Road, Sheffield, England, S7 2DX Dee 106.3 Ltd Archway House, Station Road, Chester, CH1 3DR Niocast Digital Ltd 20 Crewe Road, Sandbach, Cheshire CW11 4NE 3.8 Complete the following table, expanding