Panjab Radio to launch nationally on UK DAB

From a press release to news@media.info
Posted 31 January 2016, 7.40pm est

Panjab Radio has agreed a deal with Sound Digital to launch nationally using capacity on the second national digital radio multiplex. Subject only to the final green light from broadcasting regulator Ofcom, the station will launch in the next month to six weeks.

Panjab Radio has been broadcasting for over 15 years and is currently available on Sky Digital and local multiplexes in London, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, mini multiplexes in Manchester, Glasgow as well as in Berlin (Germany) and Oslo (Norway).

The service will consist of music, news and speech programming mainly in Panjabi and English.

The station aims to be inclusive to all people in the UK for whom Panjabi language or music is important, and has programmes with general appeal to Panjabi speakers of all faiths.

"Panjab Radio serves a unique audience," said the station’s Managing Director, Surjit Singh Ghuman MBE. "This is once again the biggest step for Panjab Radio since its launch and we believe the time is right again for us to launch across the UK. We’re grateful to those who’ve supported this initiative and to the thousands of individual listeners across UK".

Surjit added "It’s a significant expansion for Panjab Radio which has come a long way since its launch as a satellite station in September 2000, when it was only available on SKY."

Glyn Jones, General Manager of Digital Radio Platforms at Arqiva said: "The UK radio industry has had a poor record of making sure its stations reach out to all audiences, and are inclusive of all Britain’s communities. The inclusion of a Panjabi radio station on the national airwaves is good news for listener, and arguably long overdue. Congratulations to the team, advertisers and listeners of Panjab Radio for getting the station on air across Britain once again."