Oxford: Local Digital Radio Switch-On

21 December 2012, 14:50 | Updated: 22 December 2012, 07:54

Five years on from when it was first made available, more than 300,000 people in Oxfordshire will now be able to get access to local digital radio as two new transmitters have been switched on in the county.

They'll be joining other parts of the Thames Valley who already have it.

MP for Wantage and Communications Minister Ed Vaizey was at the Museum of the History of Science to make the switch-on and delivered a speech on what the new service will mean.

The two new transmitters at Oxford and Farthinghoe take local digital radio coverage from zero to 61% of households, and brings local DAB digital radio to areas including Oxford, Abingdon, Bicester and Banbury for the first time.

Local road coverage is also improved, adding more than 200 miles of roads in the Oxford area to local DAB coverage for the first time.  This is the first stage of a plan to build-out local DAB coverage around Oxford that will see a further transmitter built in SW Oxford next year and more new transmitters in the coming years so the whole county has access to it.

Many listeners in these areas already have digital radios but until now they have been unable to listen to local radio stations on DAB.

This switch-on comes as the Government has said they will look to make a decision on a full radio switchover later in 2013, following the completion of the digital TV switchover.

MP Ed Vaizey & Minister of Culture Ed Vaizey Speaks To Heart's Holly Jones

Stephen Johnston: Director of the Museum Of The History Of Science

Ford Ennals From Digital Radio UK

For more information go to getdigitalradio.com