More DAB for 1.9million people

Commercial digital radio will reach 90 per cent of UK listeners by the end of 2007.

Digital One, the national commercial DAB multiplex, will be made available via 10 new transmitters, covering about 1.894million people.

The transmitters will give an extra boost to the Digital TV Switch in Whitehaven, Cumbria, which hasn't had any DAB coverage until now. Digital One carries Classic FM, Oneword speech radio, Talksport, Capital Life, Virgin Radio, Planet Rock, Core and The Jazz.

Quentin Howard, chief executive at Digital One, said: "With sales of digital radios nearly at 5 million, we felt the time had come give even more listeners a chance to access the national commercial stations on our network. We have already gone well beyond our original coverage commitment and will continue to champion DAB digital radio as the technology of choice for radio listeners across the country.”

The new transmitters will cover:

• the Scottish Borders: two transmitters at Selkirk and Ridings Hill, south of Dumfries;
• Cumbria: two transmitters at Whitehaven and Workington;
• the Yorkshire Coast: three new transmitters at Bridlington, Scarborough and Whitby;
• Derbyshire: a new transmitter at Chesterfield;
• the South Coast: two transmitters at Newhaven and Eastbourne.