Radio stations team up to spread Valley word
VALLEY community radio stations have joined forces with a fellow North West station to form a new company, East Lancs Digital Ltd.
Rossendale Radio and Pendle Community Radio, have teamed up to create company East Lancs Digital Ltd, and are in the process of applying for the second round of Ofcom’s small-scale DAB rollout for East Lancashire.
Small-scale DAB is an innovative technology which provides a low-cost route for local commercial, community and specialist music services to broadcast on terrestrial digital radio in a local area.
The stations are hopeful that by joining forces they will bring listeners in Rossendale a unique combination of specialist skills, local knowledge, radio experience and a passion for the area.
Viamux, the a one-stopshop for all things smallscale DAB has helped the collaboration by providing equipment, installation and support services.
Rossendale Radio’s station manager and director Tony Nixon said: “We are absolutely delighted to be a part of this application.
“For years, this part of Lancashire traditionally had very little radio coverage from a truly local perspective, and this new digital platform will bring so much more listening choice to the residents, visitors and businesses in the area.
“We look forward to welcoming new listeners across East Lancashire to our station and to sharing the benefits of the Rossendale Valley.”
DAB (digital audio broadcasting) is a digital radio service which is broadcast from a UK-wide network of transmitters and enables broadcasters to package together several radio stations, called multiplexing.
Viamux’s David Duffy welcomed the collaboration.
He said: “I believe that stations such as Rossendale and Pendle demonstrate the very best of what community radio delivers in their local areas.
“Through collaborations such as these, we aim to ensure that stations have a stake in their local platform and that their digital future is secured.”
The new company is now looking to add a DAB small-scale service which will cover Burnley and Blackburn with Darwen.
MORE information can be found on the website here: eastlancsdigital. co.uk/.