Sound Digital
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Sound Digital, also known as SDL National, is a semi-national commercial digital radio multiplex in the United Kingdom, owned by Arqiva, Bauer Media Group and News Broadcasting. The multiplex covers 73% of the population from a total of 45 transmitters.
History
Following the collapse of the winning 4 Digital Group bid for the second national ensemble in 2008, the capacity was re-advertised in 2014. Two bids were received, Sound Digital and Listen2Digital, a consortium run by Orion Media and Babcock International Group. On 27 March 2015, Sound Digital were selected as the winner.
Between award and launch, Premier Praise and Panjab Radio, a Listen2Digital station, joined the line up along with DAB+ stations Fun Kids and Magic Chilled. Also, BMR and UCB Inspirational were rebranded Awesome Radio and UCB2 respectively and TalkBusiness was replaced by Listen2Digital station Share Radio.
Test transmission commenced in February 2016, which consisted of Sound Waves and Sound Waves+ for DAB and DAB+ respectively. An official launch took place on 29 February, with the majority of stations launching on this date and the remainder following over the next month.
On 15 May 2018, Sound Digital announced the planned introduction of additional 19 transmitters – to improve coverage in the South West, East Anglia, Wales and North of Scotland – increasing the multiplex's coverage to 83%, adding nearly 4 million new listeners in more than 1.6m new households.
In September 2023 Bauer announced that Mellow Magic, Planet Rock, Scala Radio, Absolute 80s and Absolute 90s would transition to DAB+ from that October, freeing up capacity for the addition of Absolute Radio Country, Absolute Classic Rock, Magic Chilled, Magic Soul, Magic at the Musicals, Heat Radio and Kerrang! Radio to the Sound Digital lineup.
Stations carried
DAB
| Service | Service ID | Bit rate | Audio channels | Description | DAB launch date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fix Radio | CDDA | 64 kbit/s | Mono LSF | Station for the building trade | 3 May 2022 |
| Premier Christian Radio | CCD8 | 64 kbit/s | Mono LSF | Christian music and speech | 27 March 2016 |
| Premier Praise! | CDD8 | 64 kbit/s | Mono LSF | Sister station to Premier Christian Radio | 27 March 2016 |
| Sunrise Radio | C9D8 | 56 kbit/s | Mono | Asian music and speech programmes | 29 February 2016 |
| Times Radio | C0D8 | 64 kbit/s | Mono | News and culture | 29 June 2020 |
| Virgin Radio UK | C3D8 | 80 kbit/s | Mono | Rock/pop music | 30 March 2016 |
DAB+
| Service | Service ID | Bit rate | Audio channels | Description | DAB+ launch date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Radio 80s | C8D8 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | 80s music | 16 October 2023 |
| Absolute Radio 90s | CAC2 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | 90s music | 16 October 2023 |
| Absolute Radio Classic Rock | C7C9 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Classic rock music | 16 October 2023 |
| Absolute Radio Country | CCE7 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Country music | 16 October 2023 |
| Boom Radio UK | C5EF | 24 kbit/s | Mono HE-AAC v1 | Pop music | 13 March 2021 |
| BFBS UK | C5E0 | 24 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Armed forces radio | 24 January 2018 |
| Capital Anthems | CAFC | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Contemporary hit radio | 12 September 2024 |
| Capital Xtra Reloaded | CCE9 | 40 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Non-stop old skool | 24 October 2022 |
| Greatest Hits Radio 60s | CFFA | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | 1960s music | 16 September 2024 |
| Hits Radio Chilled | CEE6 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | "Laid-back" pop and R&B from 90s to now | 16 October 2023 |
| Jazz FM | CAD7 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Jazz music | 29 February 2016 |
| Kerrang! Radio | C6CF | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Rock music | 16 October 2023 |
| Kisstory R&B | CFF9 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Rhythm and blues | 16 September 2024 |
| Magic at the Musicals | CAEA | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Showtunes and soundtracks | 16 October 2023 |
| Magic Classical | CDE6 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Classical | 16 October 2023 |
| Magic Soul | C3D9 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Soul, funk and disco | 16 October 2023 |
| Mellow Magic | C5D8 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Relaxing and melodic music | 16 October 2023 |
| Planet Rock | C7D8 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Classic rock radio | 16 October 2023 |
| Radio X Classic Rock | C5F6 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Classic Rock music | 16 February 2023 |
| Smooth 80s | CAFB | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | 1980s music | 12 September 2024 |
| Talkradio | CAEB | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Talk Radio (Right-Wing News) | 9 June 2020 |
| TalkSport 2 | C1D8 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Specialist shows, documentaries, and live sport commentary | 9 June 2020 |
| Virgin Chilled | C836 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Chilled Pop Music | 22 December 2018 |
| Virgin Legends | C736 | 32 kbit/s | Stereo HE-AAC v2 | Classic Rock/Pop Music | 22 December 2018 |
Former services
Services previously carried on the multiplex include:
- Awesome Radio - never fully launched, promo barker ran from launch of SDL until removal in August 2017
- Capital (Taylor's Version) - temporary station during summer 2024 to coincide with the Eras Tour
- Capital Chill - added 13 February 2023, removed 12 September 2024 to make way for Capital Anthems
- Fun Kids - removed 31 August 2023. However the station continues to broadcast on local DAB multiplexes in selected areas of the UK.
- Heat Radio - removed February 2019; re-added as a DAB+ station along with other Bauer stations 16 October 2023; removed again 16 September 2024 to make way for Kisstory R&B
- JACK Radio - replaced by Union JACK Dance in December 2020
- Kisstory - moved to Digital One in February 2019
- Love Sport - removed late 2020
- Panjab Radio - moved to local DAB in December 2019
- Share Radio - moved to online-only service May 2017
- UCB2 - moved to Digital One as a DAB+ service in March 2022
- Union JACK - launched on 9 September 2016, removed on 24 February 2022
- Union JACK Dance - launched on 10 December 2020, removed on 24 February 2022
- Union JACK Rock - launched on 10 December 2020, removed on 24 February 2022