4 Digital Group
Encyclopedia
4 Digital Group was a media consortium
in the United Kingdom. The group won the licence to operate the second national DAB
radio multiplex
, as advertised by Ofcom
in December 2006. The consortium, led by Channel 4 Radio, is a combination of the existing commercial radio operators and brands new to radio. The group said that they wish boost the up-take of digital radio in the United Kingdom
in a similar manner to the growth of digital television since the introduction of Freeview. Their strategy for this is the introduction of ten new national stations, including both speech and music services, and advertising for the format.
announced that it was abandoning its plans for digital radio stations. Subsequently the licence was returned to Ofcom
. As such, all details below refer to purely what was "planned", and was taken from promotional material of the time. None of it actually occurred.
E4 Radio
was aimed to be a contemporary music and entertainment service targeted at 15 to 29-year-olds delivered in the style of E4 Television. The proposed content is popular music, entertainment and comedy. The channel aims to experiment with new talent, ideas and music.
Channel 4 Radio was to be a proposed speech station, including debate, opinion, comedy and drama programming, with a considerable news and current affairs output. The target audience would be 30 to 54-year-olds.
Pure4 was a proposed contemporary music station, which would feature speech content about their artists and bands. Programming will also include arts, film, books and exhibitions.
Talk Radio was to be a speech station proposed by UTV
which would mix news and features with talkback programming. Content would be set by the day's news.
The plan for Bauer Radio's proposed station, Closer, was for a music station targeting women aged 30+ with a broad range of contemporary and classic popular hits and topical chat on issues such as health, diet, wellbeing, fashion and relationships, using a mix of both celebrity and listener real-life experiences.
Sky News Radio was a proposed 24-hour news station. The proposal was a joint venture between Sky, which runs a television news channel, and Chrysalis Radio, which owned LBC 97.3
FM and LBC News 1152
AM in London. However LBC's new owners Global Radio
pulled out of the deal. It is unknown whether the channel will still go forwards, or what will replace it.
Based on the London station, Sunrise Radio UK was a proposed station feating Asian culture, primarily music, including Bollywood
, Bhangra and Asian folk music. Speech content will focus on news and features tailored to the two million British people with Asian backgrounds.
Operated by CanWest MediaWorks, Original was a proposed contemporary and classic popular music station. The station hopes to employ well-known presenters and produce specialist evening music shows.
Radio Disney aimed to be the first national UK radio station broadcasting children's programmes full time. Aimed at 8 to 12-year-olds, the core of the service will be a variety of suitable and popular music.
Downloadable radio podcasts range from:
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
in the United Kingdom. The group won the licence to operate the second national DAB
Digital audio broadcasting
Digital Audio Broadcasting is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations, used in several countries, particularly in Europe. As of 2006, approximately 1,000 stations worldwide broadcast in the DAB format....
radio multiplex
DAB ensemble
DAB ensembles are groups of Digital audio broadcasting broadcasters transmitting multiple digital radio channels on a single radio transmission....
, as advertised by Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
in December 2006. The consortium, led by Channel 4 Radio, is a combination of the existing commercial radio operators and brands new to radio. The group said that they wish boost the up-take of digital radio in the United Kingdom
Digital radio in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, the roll-out of digital radio is proceeding since test transmissions were started by the BBC in 1990. The UK currently has the world's biggest digital radio network, with 103 transmitters, two national DAB ensembles and 48 local and regional DAB ensembles...
in a similar manner to the growth of digital television since the introduction of Freeview. Their strategy for this is the introduction of ten new national stations, including both speech and music services, and advertising for the format.
Demise
In October 2008 Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
announced that it was abandoning its plans for digital radio stations. Subsequently the licence was returned to Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
. As such, all details below refer to purely what was "planned", and was taken from promotional material of the time. None of it actually occurred.
New stations
The planned stations were:E4 Radio
E4 Radio
In July 2007 it was announced Channel 4 would be launching E4 Radio, the first of a network of channels to be broadcast on DAB radio. The station was to be launched in spring 2009 on the Digital one mulitplex and would have been aimed at a similar demographic to its sister television channel E4.In...
was aimed to be a contemporary music and entertainment service targeted at 15 to 29-year-olds delivered in the style of E4 Television. The proposed content is popular music, entertainment and comedy. The channel aims to experiment with new talent, ideas and music.
Channel 4 Radio was to be a proposed speech station, including debate, opinion, comedy and drama programming, with a considerable news and current affairs output. The target audience would be 30 to 54-year-olds.
Pure4 was a proposed contemporary music station, which would feature speech content about their artists and bands. Programming will also include arts, film, books and exhibitions.
Talk Radio was to be a speech station proposed by UTV
UTV plc
UTV Media is a broadcasting and New Media company based in Belfast in Northern Ireland. It is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index. UTV Media's main operation is the ITV franchise for Northern Ireland, and it is also the owner of UTV Radio, which operates the UK Independent National Radio...
which would mix news and features with talkback programming. Content would be set by the day's news.
The plan for Bauer Radio's proposed station, Closer, was for a music station targeting women aged 30+ with a broad range of contemporary and classic popular hits and topical chat on issues such as health, diet, wellbeing, fashion and relationships, using a mix of both celebrity and listener real-life experiences.
Sky News Radio was a proposed 24-hour news station. The proposal was a joint venture between Sky, which runs a television news channel, and Chrysalis Radio, which owned LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3
LBC 97.3 is a London-based talk and phone-in radio station. It is one half of the latest incarnation of LBC, the news and speech service which was Britain's first commercial radio station when it went on air in October 1973...
FM and LBC News 1152
LBC News 1152
LBC News 1152 is London's only rolling news radio station broadcasting in Greater London on AM, DAB, Sky, Virgin Media and online. The station's aim is to provide more in depth coverage of the day's news stories...
AM in London. However LBC's new owners Global Radio
Global Radio
Global Radio UK Ltd. is a British commercial radio company, the largest in the country following acquisitions of Chrysalis Radio and GCap Media.The company's Chief Executive Officer is Stephen Miron, while the Group Chairman is Charles Allen...
pulled out of the deal. It is unknown whether the channel will still go forwards, or what will replace it.
Based on the London station, Sunrise Radio UK was a proposed station feating Asian culture, primarily music, including Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
, Bhangra and Asian folk music. Speech content will focus on news and features tailored to the two million British people with Asian backgrounds.
Operated by CanWest MediaWorks, Original was a proposed contemporary and classic popular music station. The station hopes to employ well-known presenters and produce specialist evening music shows.
Radio Disney aimed to be the first national UK radio station broadcasting children's programmes full time. Aimed at 8 to 12-year-olds, the core of the service will be a variety of suitable and popular music.
Other Services
As well as innovative new radio stations, 4 Digital Group planned to introduce a national Podcast Service, providing an opportunity for niche services catering for a diversity of passions, interests and communities to reach audiences throughout the UK.Downloadable radio podcasts range from:
- Gaydar (gay and lesbian community)
- Club Asia (Asian dance music)
- NME (new music)
- IMG (sport)
- Penguin (audio books)
- The Financial Times (business)
- The Prince's Trust (youth new music and issues)
- Media Trust (social action)
- Colourful (multi-cultural speech)
Transmission
4 Digital Group plans to build and operate a transmission network capable of reaching nearly 88% of the adult population on the move (outdoor), nearly 80.5% in home (robust indoor), and 45% using handheld receivers and DAB coverage for 94% of the motorway network in England, Scotland and Wales.Marketing
4 Digital Group plans to commit £4.5 million to general marketing of digital radio in the first three years of the licence period, together with more than £25 million lue to support the launch of the individual new radio stations.Initial Shareholders
- Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
Radio (55%) - Bauer Radio (10%)
- UTV RadioUTV RadioUTV Radio is a UK media company, and owner of several radio stations in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It is a growing branch of UTV Media....
(GB) Limited (10%) - BSkyBBritish Sky BroadcastingBritish Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
(10%) - The Carphone Warehouse Group plc (10%)
- UBC Media GroupUBC Media GroupUBC Media Group is an independent supplier of services to the radio industry. It provides content to BBC and commercial stations, as well as private clients...
plc (5%)
Station providers
- Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
Radio - BSkyB
- Bauer Radio
- UTV RadioUTV RadioUTV Radio is a UK media company, and owner of several radio stations in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It is a growing branch of UTV Media....
- CanWest MediaWorks
- The Walt DisneyWalt DisneyWalter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
Company - Sunrise RadioSunrise RadioSunrise Radio is the United Kingdom's first Independent Local Radio station to cater specifically for the Asian community. Dr Avtar Lit is the chairman and chief executive of this media group which also operates kismat radio,buzz asia,punjabi radio as well as sunrise tv-Transmission:It initially...
Podcast providers
- Club Asia
- Colourful
- The Financial Times
- GaydarGaydarGaydar is a colloquialism referring to the intuitive ability of a person to assess others' sexual orientations as homosexual, bisexual, or heterosexual. Gaydar relies almost exclusively on non-verbal clues and LGBT stereotypes...
- NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
- PenguinPenguin BooksPenguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
- Media Trust
- The Princes Trust
- IMG
Strategic partners
- BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
- Universal Music GroupUniversal Music GroupUniversal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
- The CloudThe CloudThe Cloud, a BSkyB subsidiary, is a provider of public access Wi-Fi hotspots in Europe. It has services operating across 7,000 locations with 22,000 Wi-Fi network access points in 12 European countries.The Cloud has offices in London, Munich, and Stockholm....
- iriverIriveririver is a consumer electronics company headquartered in South Korea and widely known for its digital audio players and other portable media devices....
- ITIS Holdings
- BT Movio
See also
- Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
- Digital radio in the United KingdomDigital radio in the United KingdomIn the United Kingdom, the roll-out of digital radio is proceeding since test transmissions were started by the BBC in 1990. The UK currently has the world's biggest digital radio network, with 103 transmitters, two national DAB ensembles and 48 local and regional DAB ensembles...