Your Harrogate welcomes news town is to get its own DAB radio 'multiplex'

Report predicts more than 100,000 electric vehicles on roads of Harrogate by 2050

Communications regulator Ofcom has confirmed that Harrogate and Wetherby are to be allocated their own local DAB service multiplex, which will be advertised in a matter of months.

The recent announcement has been welcomed by Your Harrogate which has been lobbying for the service for some months.

Your Harrogate’s Nick Hancock said: “I’m delighted to hear this terrific news and it’s great that all our efforts, as well as those of many others, for this to come to Harrogate and Wetherby, have been rewarded.

“I’m very grateful for all the support from local businesses, organisations and councillors, who, along with local MP, Andrew Jones, have been strong advocates of having our own specifically local DAB services available.”

All local digital radio (DAB) multiplex services, which usually carry both commercial radio services and BBC local or national services, have a specified licensed area under terms set by Ofcom as part of the Government's Digital Radio Action Plan first announced in 2010.

Radio stations and businesses can apply to be part of it.

There is a one off application fee of £250 to apply for a DSP licence, and an annual licence fee of £100.

Multiplex capacity fees vary from multiplex to multiplex. In general, the cost of carriage for a mono (64 kbit/s regular DAB) service on a non-London multiplex is around £3,500 to £6,000 per month.

In Harrogate's case, the advertisement for the multiplex will be published by the regulator within months and Nick Hancock has confirmed that Your Harrogate will be bidding for the opportunity to launch and manage the local multiplex.

Mr Hancock added: “We already provide a local radio station online, via the app and on smart speaker and this will add another more traditional platform as well as widen still further the delivery of our totally locally focused service.”

Nick Hancock confirmed that he would welcome the involvement of anyone, or group, that wished to be involved in providing additional services on the multiplex, or get involved in other ways with Your Harrogate to apply for the multiplex licence to operate the services, to ‘get in touch.’

How to listen to Your Harrogate

People can listen to Your Harrogate online, on their smart speakers and on the Your Harrogate app.

For more information, visit www. yourharrogate.co.uk

Harrogate’s other radio stations...

Other local radio stations already operating locally include:

Greatest Hits Radio

Harrogate Hospital Radio (digital only)

Harrogate Community Radio (digital only)

Nick Hancock is back with new radio station but what can we expect from Your Harrogate Radio...

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