Bring back the wide choice of formats to Digital Radio in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and West Midlands.

 

The following list is of some of the stations which were recently shut down in parts of England.

 

• XFM (Alternative and Indie)
• Amazing Radio (Public access for local and independent artists)
• Rock Radio (Rock Music)
• LBC (Talk and Conversation)
• Yorkshire Radio (Yorkshire music and sport)
• Choice (Urban music)
• Gold (Classic hits)
• Heart (Music station still available in most of the South and Midlands)
• Panjab (Punjabi Service)
• Real Radio XS (Classic Rock)
• Absolute 70's (Seventies Music) 

 

 On 29th July 2013 a decision was made which drastically reduced the amount of choice available on DAB Radio in the North East, North West, Yorkshire and West Midlands.

http://radiotoday.co.uk/2013/07/regional-dab-signals-commence-shut-down/

 

The North East, North West, West Midlands and the Yorkshire regional multiplexes were shut down on DAB Radio.  In order to retain coverage, the big three, REAL, SMOOTH and CAPITAL were moved over to the local multiplexes for Tyne and Wear, Teesside, York, Greater Manchester, etc.

 

This has resulted in the loss of a lot of the much loved stations that offer alternative formats, such as XFM, Panjab and LBC.  

 

The big three, SMOOTH, REAL and CAPITAL are therefore being given an unfair priority on the airwaves, and the variety of formats available has been sacrificed.  The reason most people invest in a DAB radio is so they don't have to listen to the bland, repetitive "Pop" which dominates FM radio in most areas.  In fact, in most parts of the North East, apart from the BBC, it is only SMOOTH, REAL and CAPITAL that are available, and each one is available on three or four different frequencies!

 

Please sign this petition to tell Ofcom that this unfair competition and that variety and choice is being stifled in favour of the big three formats.