NME’s music channel is now available on Freesat.

NME TV can be found on Freesat channel 503. The channel can also be found on Sky channel 382.

This news comes days after the decision to close the NME Radio service, which has been broadcasting on Sky, DAB, Virgin and on Freesat channel 727.

Music station NME Radio is set to cease broadcasting within the next couple of weeks. The station, a spin-off from NME Magazine launched in June 2008, and was operated by DX Media.

NME Radio will shortly cease to broadcast the music service DAB digital radio, Sky Digital, Virgin Media and Freesat.

One of the national DAB stations is to fall silent today. The Asian service Panjab Radio is to leave the Digital One national multiplex on 31st May 2010. The service will continue on Sky Digital’s radio service.

A few days ago, London saw the departure of one of their stations, Q Radio, which was an offshoot from the music magazine Q. Q Radio will continue to be available on the Freeview platform.

An odd situation – two stations opting not to stay on digital radio, but to continue to offer a radio station via a digital TV platform.

The BBC has announced that it will start to broadcast BBC One in HD. This will be in addition to the existing BBC HD channel.

Expected to start from Autumn 2010, the new BBC One HD service will be a simulcast of the main BBC One output, bringing HD content including EastEnders, Holby City, The One Show, The Apprentice, The Weakest Link, QI, Strictly Come Dancing, Human Planet and Waterloo Road.

Head of the BBC’s HD services, Danielle Nagler, has this to say: “HD is the future of television. People who have HD have clearly told us that they want more of their licence fee-funded content in HD. I’m delighted that the HD simulcast of BBC One will become available on satellite, on cable, and now also on Freeview’s new HD service. This is a key moment for us on the journey to HD becoming the norm for all our programmes and channels.”

BBC One HD will be made available to Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media platforms.

BBC One HD on Freeview has been made possible as a result of Five opting not to provide an HD service to Freeview, and Ofcom’s revokation of Five’s Freeview HD licence.

We all know that DAB radio is having a tough time at the moment, even though the recent RAJAR audience research shows an increase in digital radio listening.

The Government is keen to push ahead with the plans to scrap FM radio and get us all onto digital radio as early as 2015, and the next step of this drive is underway, in the form of The Radio Amnesty.

Retailers including Argos, Comet, John Lewis and Tesco, but oddly not Dixons and Currys, will offer a trade in of up to 20% on FM and AM radios brought in to their stores. If you have an old FM tranny you don’t want, you could get a decent discount instore on a Pure, Alba, Bush, Panasonic, Philips, Roberts or Sony DAB radio.

Old radios traded in will be reconditioned and sent off to kids in Africa.

The Amnesty is being promoted by Stephen Fry on BBC and commercial radio at the moment.

Some voices in the UK radio scene aren’t convinced though, including the radio group, UKRD.

William Rogers, CEO at UKRD says: “We are not prepared to encourage any of our listeners to go and replace their perfectly satisfactory analogue radio set with a DAB one which may not be able to pick up a DAB signal at all. This is absolutely appalling and one has to question both the moral and ethical basis for running such a campaign.”

Radio group Niocom and broadcaster Steve Penk are also against the Amnesty, with Steve referring to the Amnesty as “farcical, misleading and dishonest”.

Those interested in taking advantage have until the 26th June 2010 to take advantage of the Radio Amnesty.

A new national DAB has launched on the Digital One multiplex.

Kids of the 80′s can now listen to the likes of Human League, U2, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Simple Minds, Duran Duran, Prince, ABC, Depeche Mode, Blondie Bon Jovi, Bananarama, Culture Club and Madonna on Absolute 80s, which until now, as only been available in London.

The station went live on national DAB on the 14th of May 2010.

Hot off the press, a brand new show from our Podcast team. Our presenters Pete and Carl talk about the future of TV, radio and the Internet, as we look at how the Government’s new, and controversial, Digital Economy Act affects you.

As well as looking at what the digital future has in store, we also look at the first 3D TV to hit the market, and see what’s new in the world of HD TV. We also answer our listener’s questions, and have a little fun testing out walkie-talkies and a rather pointless sound machine.

As this show covers some important topics, we’d ask that you download the show or listen online to this month’s podcast, Show 51, to make sure you don;t miss out. You’ll find it at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/latest.html.

If you have an iPod or iPhone, you can get today’s show and sign up for the next shows via iTunes.

Remember, our shows are free, and we’d ask that if you enjoy our shows, you sign up, and tell your friends via Facebook, Twitter, email, or, of course, in person!

Following the recent speculation about the future of the Beeb’s music station 6 Music, it has today be confirmed by BBC Director General Mark Thompson that the proposed closure of 6 Music and the BBC Asian Network is indeed on the cards.

Additionally, there will be a significant reduction in the BBC’s online presence, cutbacks on imports of programmes, and a reported possible loss of up to 600 jobs at the BBC (according to union BECTU)

The proposal is now subject to a 12 week public consultation period. There’s a glimmer of hope – if there’s enough public pressure, the BBC Trust could force a re-think. If you’re opposed to the changes, go to BBC Trust – Have Your Say.

If the plans go ahead, 6 Music could vanish by the end of 2011.

To read the reasons behind the BBC’s decisions, see the article by Mark Thomson at Guardian.co.uk

Good news for DAB radio listeners – another DAB station has joined the national commercial channel – NME Radio.

According to Sammy Jacob, NME Radio’s Managing and Programming Director, “NME Radio is extremely passionate about the music it plays, especially the promotion of great new acts. Being able to share that passion with a wider audience will make it all the more worthwhile.”

The station went live on the national commercial DAB multiplex on 22nd December 2009 – you may need to perform a channel scan / auto-tune to get this new station.

Digital station ourkindofmusic has been removed from the digital radio platform.

The station was available until today on the local DAB multiplexes for Bristol and Bath, Swindon, Reading and Basingstoke, and Southend and Chelmsford.

The station started in 2005 and featured jazz and easy-listening music from the likes of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Gershwin. The station was set up by radio veteran Eddie Blackwell, former Chairman of Essex Radio and director at GWR.

Apparently the station will continue as an online Internet service available at www.ourkindofmusic.net – you can listen online, or using a Wireless Internet Radio.

Update 28 Nov 2009: Website for Our Kind of Music no longer appears to be available.

Three National DAB digital radio services fell silent today, April 1st 2008.

The stations to go are theJazz, adult contemporary Capital Life, and the three months trial of forces station BFBS.

Planet Rock was also meant to go off-air today, but has a month’s extension, while the station continues to find a buyer.

The departure of these national DAB stations comes as radio group GCap Media branded DAB radio as ‘economically unviable’ in February.

No news on what stations will fill the gaps left, although RadioToday’s Birdsong +1 catchup service April Fools jape made us smile!

A stack of national radio stations from Channel 4 are due later this year, although with this year’s departures, Channel 4 must be having some reservations…

If you haven’t listened already, download episode 24 of our podcast, where we discuss the closures, and future of digital radio. www.frequencycast.co.uk/cast24.html