Arqiva has reached a deal to acquire Global Radio’s 63 percent stake in the Digital One national commercial DAB multiplex. Arqiva previously held a 37% stake in the multiplex.
With the deal, Arqiva will also take control of Now Digital, the company that operates local digital radio multiplexes for Global Radio. Global Radio stations will continue to air from the multiplexes, including Classic FM on Digital One.
Digital One was awarded the sole U.K. national multiplex license for DAB digital radio in 1998 and started broadcasting in November 1999 under a renewable 12-year license.
There are now 120-plus Arqiva transmitters covering more than 90 percent of the U.K. population. Together with the BBC, Digital One is a major stakeholder in the Digital Radio Development Bureau (DRDB), which promotes DAB to U.K. consumers. It also works with the WorldDMB Forum to promote the medium internationally.
