Durham OnAir, the local radio station for County Durham, will launch on DAB Digital Radio, in Tyneside and the North East of County Durham, at 7am on December 10th, station bosses have announced.
The station, which launched online in November 2020, is at the start of it’s DAB roll out, which it hopes will see the station become available on DAB Radio across County Durham over the next few years.
Director of Durham OnAir, Sam Lupton said, “We are so thrilled to have reached the first stage of our DAB roll out. Finally, Durham has got a local radio station back on the airwaves. We cant wait to bring Durham OnAir to even more people around the County through digital radio.”
Durham has an interesting history of local radio, with BBC Durham being the first local BBC Radio station to launch way back in 1968. It closed in 1972 to allow for BBC Radio Cumbria to launch. Other local radio stations have included Durham FM and the recent Star North East, which closed in 2017.
Durham OnAir broadcasts 24 hours a day, and offers listeners a mix of great music from the past 5 decades, as well as keeping listeners up to date with the local news and events from across County Durham. Programs on the schedule feature North East radio favourite Sue Sweeney, who presents her chat and music show on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7pm, the station also carries exclusive commentary of Spennymoor Town FC matches in the National League North as well as specialist programs featuring music from the 60’s and 70’s, as well as 80’s and Punk and Country music programs.
The station also supports local businesses through advertising, sponsorships and promotions.
Lupton said “Radio advertising is incredibly personal, emotional and effective, but it is generally unaffordable to small businesses due to the way most radio stations are now owned and networked on a national level. Durham OnAir is a small independent start up, and as such, we can keep advertising costs low and support other small local businesses”
“Local people want local content, and they want to support their local high streets and businesses. We are determined to provide an affordable and entertaining platform for that to happen”
Durham OnAir is one of a number of radio stations launching as part of a new DAB Radio multiplex, MUX One, which will broadcast from two transmitters; one at Cleadon Water Tower, and one at Whitley Bay FC football ground. The transmissions are expected to reach as far south as Sunderland, touching on the North East of County Durham, and giving a strong signal to East Newcastle, Tyneside and the coast. Although there have been a number of test across the UK in recent years, the Tyneside DAB Multiplex, is the first of it’s kind in the UK, bringing “super local” radio to DAB.
For listeners in other parts of County Durham, the station still broadcasts through it’s free mobile app, Google and Amazon smart speakers and through durhamonair.com
Durham OnAir also plans to launch on DAB in other areas of County Durham, including Darlington and Durham City, subject to OFCOM awarding licences to operators in those areas.
Lupton said “Unfortunately we are not able to launch across the whole County just yet, as OFCOM decides when certain areas will receive the new small scale DAB services. We are hoping they will launch a multiplex to serve the rest of the County and the underserved City of Durham very soon”
Durham OnAir is powered by PlayitLive Software, which allows smaller scale radio stations to operate with a professional sound!
For more information visit Durhamonair.com
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