Digital talk and sport radio stations talkRADIO and talkSPORT 2 are switching from DAB to DAB+ this month.
The national radio stations are the latest to switch to the newer DAB+ format. Not all DAB digital radios can receive DAB+ stations and some listeners may find that they can no longer receive the stations.
talkRADIO is currently available in its original DAB format and DAB+ as talkRADIO +. A scrolling message on the original version says “We are moving! Please retune to talkRADIO+”. On the new DAB+ version the scrolling text says “Welcome to the new home of talkRADIO.” A message is also being broadcast on the station encouraging listeners to retune. The talk radio station will be available in its original DAB format until 26th June when only the DAB+ version will be available.
talkSPORT 2 is currently broadcasting coverage of horse racing, Bundesliga football, PGA golf and documentaries. Last week talkSPORT announced that it will broadcast back-to-back football games at 12.30, 15.00, 17.30 and 19.45/20.00 when Premier League fixtures return.
Both DAB+ stations are broadcasting at 32kbps, having previously been at 64kbps on DAB. The stations are operated by Wireless which will launch Times Radio later this month with The Times and The Sunday Times. The new radio station will broadcast on digital radio.
talkRADIO and talkSPORT 2 launched in 2016 when several new digital radio stations became available across the UK.
Listeners tuning to talkSPORT 2 may find that the radio tunes automatically, but it may be necessary to perform a retune or rescan. The original talkRADIO station is not affected by the change. Both stations are still available in apps, on smart speakers and online.