Carphone Warehouse and BT joins Channel 4 Radios DAB multiplex bid

Channel 4 Radio has announced that mobile phone retailer The Carphone Warehouse and BT have joined its consortium to bid for the second national DAB multiplex. The channel has already confirmed Emap, UTV, Scottish Media Group (SMG) and Disney as partners.

As part of the consortium, Carphone Warehouse and Channel 4 will work with handset manufacturers to get DAB radio services integrated into the next generation mobile phones.

Nathalie Schwarz, director of radio at Channel 4, says: “To be able to fully engage young digitally savvy audiences, digital radios need to be aspirational and fun. Encouraging manufacturers to adopt DAB radio in mobile phones is therefore a key part of our strategy to drive DAB penetration.”

BT Movio, BT’s wholesale broadcast package, has also joined the consortium.

Channel 4 is a major content provider to BT Movio, which launched in October last year. The telecoms giant claims it is the world’s first wholesale mobile TV and radio service that combines live TV channels, DAB digital radio and “red button” interactivity.

BT Movio managing director Emma Lloyd says: “BT Movio has always believed that digital radio is an essential part of the mobile entertainment mix, along with live TV.”

The deadline for bids for the multiplex is today and it will be awarded by Ofcom later this year.