A new membership-based organization has emerged in the UK to promote the expanding number of community and independent commercial radio stations broadcasting on small-scale DAB.
Three radio experts, John Dash, Phil England, and Dominic Barker, run Local Radio Support.
John has served as a programme director at Radio Clyde and Piccadilly Radio, among other stations.
Phil has worked in radio since 1980, managing stations and programs for Global, Bauer, Nation, and TWG, the UK’s four largest radio groups. He’s also started a number of radio stations and given training services.
Dominic has built strong partnerships with several well-known consumer brands while leading local, regional, and national sales teams for Capital Radio, Classic FM, and LBC.
“Many tiny stations are operating on short resources,” John tells RadioToday. Local Radio Support allows customers to get more of the services they need at a lower cost, with the help of a team of seasoned radio specialists.”
The team may help with programming, marketing, sales, station management, license applications, compliance, legal, HR, social media, technical and transmission, grant applications, and research, among other things.
Visit localradiosupport.com for more information, including details on available partner discounts.

The coverage area of the upcoming Exeter small-scale digital radio network will be 50% larger than initially planned. ExeDab, the local partnership selected by broadcast regulator Ofcom to administer the service, will now construct a three-transmitter network instead of the two originally planned. The service will reach 135,000 people in the area, up from the 88,000 originally projected, thanks to transmitters in the city center at Exeter College, the north of the city at Hilltop Riding School, and East Devon at Cranbrook Educational Campus.

For the first time, community stations Phonic FM and Riviera FM will be available on digital radio, and Devon commercial station Radio Exe will be upgraded to a high-quality stereo digital service to match its FM stereo output. “The connections we’ve developed with Exeter College, the Ted Wragg Trust, and Hilltop Riding School have allowed us to plan a network with far larger reach than we planned,” says ExeDab chair Dr David Treharne.

The coverage map we’re releasing today depicts the area with the best inside reception. The coverage is significantly better outside. “Exeter is a dynamic city that we have the honor of serving. We’ll make it easy for folks to broadcast to at least 135,000 people in the area.” This summer, the service is planned to begin. Anyone interested in starting a DAB digital radio station in Exeter should visit exedab.com and complete the online form.