Fun Coast Digital plans Blackpool Tower transmitter site for local DAB

Blackpool’s DAB Multiplex is planning to broadcast from the top of Blackpool Tower and get on-air as quickly as possible.

Fun Coast Digital CIC was awarded a licence for Blackpool from Ofcom last month along with other Round 2 areas.

The team from Fun Digital, led by former Radio Wave and Wish FM news head Alistair Clarke, along with DAB radio experts Viamux headed to Blackpool Tower to see the proposed transmitter site for their initial site visit and assess the existing infrastructure.

Alistair told RadioToday: “Blackpool and the Fylde Coast loves local radio and we’ve had lots of groups discussing their plans with us.

“We had great support in the application from dozens of community groups, Blackpool Council, Merlin Entertainments and all the local MPs so now we have to turn the plan into reality.

“Viamux has been supporting us for 12 months now and really are experts in the DAB radio field.”

David Duffy from Viamux added: “At over 500ft, Blackpool Tower allows Fun Coast Digital’s multiplex to serve the entire area from a single transmission site. This not only reduces the cost and complexity of the solution but will make for rapid implementation.”

Additional radio technical support is being provided locally by Andy Bolton Productions.