Gold launches across the UK

Digital radio station Gold has launched across the UK with a new breakfast show.

James Bassam has joined the station to host Gold’s More Music Breakfast from 6am to 10am. The presenter has hosted shows on Capital FM for several years.

The new breakfast programme includes the Six Snooze-busters at Six, 3 Big Number 1’s at 8 and the infamous Golden Year at 9.

David Andrews continues to present on Gold, hosting a weekend morning show from 8am to 12pm.

Gold is now available across the UK on the Digital One multiplex, which also carries Heart 80s and Radio X. The greatest hits station is broadcast in the newer DAB+ format, making it the first station to launch on the multiplex in DAB+. Gold is broadcast in stereo.

The station has been available on DAB in some parts of the country, such as Birmingham and Cambridge, for the last few years.

Gold is also available on medium wave in London, Manchester, Nottingham and Derby. The station can trace its roots back to individual oldies stations which were launched in the 1980s.

Heart extra and Smooth Extra switch to DAB+

The Heart and Smooth Radio spin-off stations have switched from DAB to DAB+. Heart extra and Smooth Extra offer a similar schedule to local Heart and Smooth Radio stations. Heart extra plays non-stop music during the day and features Heart extra with JK and Kelly Brook instead of the local drivetime programme on Heart stations. Smooth Extra broadcasts Smooth Breakfast with Gary King until 10am and then plays a “refreshing music mix” until 7pm.

It’s the first time that digital radio stations on the Digital One multiplex have switched to DAB+. Following the launch of Gold the Digital One multiplex now has three DAB+ services, while the other national multiplex has seven. The BBC does not yet offer any DAB+ services.

Some listeners with incompatible radios will have found that Heart extra and Smooth Extra are no longer available. If the two stations are not available, missing or silent after re-tuning it could mean that the DAB radio cannot receive DAB+ stations.