Christmas Day launch for thejazz

GCap Media will launch new jazz station, thejazz, at 9am on Christmas Day. The digital-only station will operate as a sister service to Classic FM.

The radio group, which announced plans for the station in September, plans to develop the brand into live concerts, CDs, books, podcasts and downloads, a website and TV programming. It will be available on DAB, online, and on Sky and ntl:Telewest.

The station will play a range of music across the jazz genre – cool jazz, traditional, blues and modern jazz.

It also plans to engage listeners in a debate throughout 2007 by asking listeners to discuss “What is jazz?”

Darren Henley, station manager of Classic FM and thejazz, says: “Just as Classic FM has taken classical music into the mainstream, so we want to make jazz a part of everyday life in the UK.”