Switch Aberdeen

Switch Aberdeen
Licensed areaAberdeenshire
Frequency11C (220.352 MHz)
Air date3 December 2001[1]
OwnerWireless Group
Websiteswitchdigital.com

Switch Aberdeen is the name of the DAB multiplex operator for the Aberdeen area. The company was one of two applicants for the licence - the other was from Score Digital. The service is currently carried on four transmitters and as required, has to carry the two BBC regional services, BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio nan Gaidheal.

Transmitter sites

Switch Aberdeen currently broadcasts on the following sites:[2]

Transmitter kW Area
Meldrum 8.51 Most of Aberdeenshire
Durris 2 Stonehaven & Southern Aberdeenshire
Mormond Hill 1 Peterhead & Fraserburgh
Redmoss 1 South Aberdeen

Current line-up of services

The stations currently carried on Switch Aberdeen are:[3]

Service Service ID Bit rate Audio channels Description Analogue availability
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal C336 128 kbit/s Joint stereo BBC regional service 103.5 - 105.0 MHz
810 kHz
BBC Radio Scotland C635 128 kbit/s Joint stereo BBC regional service 92.4 - 94.7 MHz
Northsound 1 C8B1 128 kbit/s Joint stereo Bauer FM service 96.9 MHz (Aberdeenshire)
97.6 MHz (Aberdeen)
103.0 MHz (Peterhead)
Greatest Hits Radio C1C9 128 kbit/s Joint stereo Bauer former AM service none
Original 106 112 kbit/s Joint stereo Local FM music station 106.8 MHz (Aberdeenshire)
106.3 MHz (Aberdeen)
106.3 MHz (Peterhead)
Original 106 Gold 112 kbit/s Joint stereo Local non-stop oldies station none
talkRADIO C0D8 64 kbit/s Mono News/discussion none
talkSPORT Scotland C6CE 64 kbit/s Mono Sport none
talkSPORT 2 C1D8 64 kbit/s Mono Sport none
Virgin Radio C3D8 64 kbit/s Mono Indie/alternative none
Coast Radio 64 kbit/s Mono Buchan area, FM community station 101.2 MHz (Peterhead)

Original line-up

The following is the original line-up on the platform and what happened, if anything.

Service Description Current status
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal BBC regional Gaelic service Still operating
BBC Radio Scotland BBC regional service Still operating
The Lounge Easy listening and smooth classics Closed by The Wireless Group in Spring 2002 cost-cutting exercise, replaced with Smash Hits Radio, in turn replaced by Kiss Fresh
Ministry of Sound Radio The "Digital Dancefloor" Closed in December 2002, replaced by Kiss
NECR Local community radio service Closed August 2018
Northsound 1 Local FM service Still operating, with local breakfast show
Northsound 2 Local AM service Closed in 2023
The Rhythm Classic soul hits Service was never launched
Ritz Country Country music Company went bust, eventually replaced with Kerrang! 105.2
Waves FM Local service for Peterhead service withdrawn in 2023

Other services

The following list are other services which were available at some point on the platform:[4]

Service What happened
Kiss Replaced by Magic 105.4 in May 2008. Kiss later returned to the multiplex but was removed once again after Kiss started broadcasting nationally on Digital One
Magic 105.4 Replaced by Kiss
Smash Hits Radio Removed by Bauer Radio in February 2006, never replaced
Original 106 Tested briefly in 2013. Original 106 resumed full DAB transmissions 26 June 2019
Mearns FM Stonehaven based community station, withdrew from DAB in 2022
Pure Radio Rebroadcast of central belt DAB station, closed in September 2023

References

  1. ^ Radiocentre Commercial Radio Pocket Booklet 2007
  2. ^ Radio Listeners Guide 2010
  3. ^ "DAB Ensembles WorldWide | UK Local & Small-Scale".
  4. ^ Radio Authority & CRCA Pocket Booklets (2000 - 2007)