Radio Multiplex Licence Variation Request Form

This form should be used for any request to vary a local or national radio multiplex licence, e.g:

 replacing one programme or data service with another  adding a programme or data service  removing a programme or data service  changing the Format description of a programme service  changing a programme service from stereo to mono  changing a programme service's bit-rate

Please complete all relevant parts of this form. You should submit one form per multiplex licence, but you should complete as many versions of Part 3 of this form as required (one per change). Before completing this form, applicants are strongly advised to read our published guidance on radio multiplex licence variations, which can be found at: http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radio-broadcast- licensing/digital-radio/radio-mux-changes/

Part 1 – Details of multiplex licence

Radio multiplex licence: DM01 National Commercial

Licensee:

Contact name: Glyn Jones

Date of request: 23rd February 2017

1

Part 2 – Summary of multiplex line-up before and after proposed change(s)

Existing line-up of programme services Proposed line-up of programme services Service name and Bit-rate Stereo/ Service name and Bit-rate Stereo/ short-form description (kbps)/ Mono short-form (kbps)/ Mono Coding (H description Coding (H or F) or F) 80F M Absolute Radio 80F M

Capital UK 80F M UK 80F M

Capital XTRA 112F JS 112F JS

Classic FM 128F JS Classic FM 128F JS

Heart extra 80F M extra 80F M

KISS 80F M KISS 80F M

LBC 64H M LBC 64H M

Magic 80F M Magic 80F M

Radio X 80F M 80F M

Smooth Extra 80F M Smooth Extra 80F M 64H M talkSPORT 64H M

UCB 1 64H M UCB 1 64H M

INRIX UK TPEG 16 Data INRIX UK TPEG 16 Data

BFBS 80F M Heart 80s 80F M

Any additional information/notes:

Part 3 – Details of proposed change For each proposed change you wish to make to your licence, please answer the following question and then complete the relevant sections of the rest of the application form.

Outline of proposed variation

Set out details of how you wish your licence to be varied, e.g. is this a request to add a new programme service, to remove an existing service, to change the technical parameters of a service?

Digital One requests that the service BFBS and its associated details are removed from the licence, and that the new service Heart 80s is added.

2

Complete the following section if your request is to add, remove or replace a programme service.

Details of existing service to be Details of proposed new service removed/replaced (if relevant) (if relevant)

This information should be taken from your For guidance on the style and content of DAB licence. Format descriptions, please refer to the guidance

Service provider: Services Sound and Service provider: Global Radio Holdings Ltd Vision Corporation (SSVC) Service name: BFBS Radio Service name: Heart 80s

Short form Short form Predominantly 1980s description: description:

Character of A music-led station playing Character of A music-led service playing service: a mix of mainly CHR and service: music predominantly from the Adult Contemporary music 1980s and targeting the predominantly younger personnel and families of those currently serving in the British Armed Forces together with those having links to Service life in general, past and present. The service will include news and information tailored for the target audience.

Date you wish proposed change to be implemented 23:59, 13 March 2017 Is this proposed change linked to proposed changes on No other multiplexes? If so, please provide details. Please set out the statutory criterion, or criteria, that you believe is/are satisfied in relation to this radio multiplex licence variation request, and the reasons for this:

For details of the statutory criteria, and relevant policies, please refer to the guidance.

The statutory criteria relevant to this change are as follows:

In respect of a national radio multiplex licence, Ofcom “shall vary the condition accordingly unless … it appears to the Authority that, if the application were granted, the capacity of the digital sound programme services broadcast under the licence to appeal to a variety of tastes and interests would be unacceptably diminished” (section 54(6A) of the Broadcasting Act 1996).”

Digital One is submitting this request to vary its licence after carefully considering its licence obligations. Ofcom is aware that following the launch of the second national commercial multiplex () in February 2016, Digital One has had unused capacity. Our licence obligations, combined with commercial motivation, have ensured we have actively sought to find new customers. Sound Digital has much lower population coverage obligations that Digital One and, with its much smaller transmitter network, offers lower prices than Digital One. However, despite a consequential reduction in demand for capacity, Digital One’s ability to reach 91.5% of the population still makes it attractive to brands seeking to deliver stations to the broadest range of UK listeners (enabling commercial stations to maximise advertising revenues). 3

As Ofcom will be aware, the costs for BFBS Radio being carried on this platform are financed by Services Sound & Vision Corporation (SSVC), out of its own charitable resources. The station carries no commercial advertising. After extensive analysis, SSVC has concluded that it can no longer justify the cost of the platform.

Digital One seeks to add Heart 80s to the multiplex. Ofcom will be aware of the strength of the Heart brand, with RAJAR research demonstrating clear demand from 9.3m listeners each week. This is coupled with the support of the UK’s largest commercial radio group. Music from the 1980s is popular with both the brand’s existing listeners, and wider digital radio audiences.

Ofcom may also choose to consider plurality of provision when reaching a decision - given that the number of stations broadcast nationally is now significant, and that in some other key genres, such as rock music, listeners already have a choice of several stations from more than one provider.

The service to be removed is targeted at a specific niche audience of the UK Forces community, while the new service targets a broader audience across popular music genres. Digital One therefore believes that the capacity of the programme services carried on the multiplex to appeal to a variety of tastes and interests would not be diminished.

Please provide any additional information and/or evidence:

No specific research has been conducted.

Complete the following section if your request is to change the technical parameters of a service.

Existing technical characteristics of Proposed new technical characteristics service(s) to be changed For guidance on issues of technical quality, please refer to Ofcom's 'Digital Technical Code' and 'Technical Policy Guidance for DAB Multiplex Licensees'

Service provider: Service provider:

Service name Service name (long and short): (long and short):

Bit-rate: Bit-rate:

Sampling rate: Sampling rate: Service mode Service mode (Stereo, Joint (Stereo, Joint stereo or mono): stereo or mono): Protection level Protection level Date you wish proposed change to be implemented Is this proposed change linked to proposed changes on other multiplexes? If so, please provide details. Please set out the statutory criterion, or criteria, that you believe is/are satisfied in relation to this radio multiplex licence variation request, and the reasons for this:

For details of the statutory criteria, and relevant Ofcom policies, please refer to the guidance.

4

Complete the following section in respect of any new service being added.

Multiplex /ensemble name: DM01 National Commercial – Digital One

Long service name: Heart 80s

Short service name: Heart80s

Service mode (stereo/joint stereo/mono): Mono

Sampling rate (half rate@24khz/full Full rate@48khz rate@48khz): Protection level (UEP, 1-5) UEP 3

Bit-rate: 80 kbit/s

Does this service currently broadcast on another multiplex or another platform? If so, is this a 100% simulcast or will there be opt-outs? Please give details (including all known SIds) below:

This is a new service, and Digital One therefore requests that Ofcom issues a new SId.

(Dec 2012)

Decision

Request agreed under section 54(6A) of the Broadcasting Act 1996 – that the variation would not unacceptably diminish the capacity of the digital sound programme services broadcast under the licence to appeal to a variety of tastes and interests.

March 2016

5