Magic hires more talent, UTV ponder UK station future plus local DAB expansion ~ Behind the Mic
Jan 2015 Behind the Mic
TalkSport owner UTV eyes up sale of local radio stations in England
TalkSport owner UTV Media, which launched a new TV channel in Ireland on New Year’s Day, is exploring a sale of its local radio stations in England. UTV has a 13-strong stable of local stations in England, most of them in the north including Juice FM in Liverpool and Pulse in Yorkshire, the Signal stations in the midlands and two in south Wales.
The Government is about to announce details of a major expansion of local DAB transmitters, with 182 new transmitters across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The plan will also allow modifications to 49 other sites and will take the population coverage of local stations on DAB from 76% today to 91.2% within 18 months. The first new transmitters will be built in March 2015 and the programme will complete by September 2016. In total, nearly 40,000km of roads will be covered by the local DAB signal.
Entrepreneur and television presenter James Caan CBE is joining LBC to present a brand new three-month series called The James Caan Business Show. The new feature, part of Clive Bull’s evening show, starts tonight at 9pm with a mix of “topical stories, hard-hitting and business interviews”. It will also feature the hashtag #AskJames for an interactive section.