CAP Clean Air

RNS Number:8687V
Chrysalis Group PLC
15 December 2000


         MXR Consortium wins North East Digital Licence

MXR, the consortium created by the UK's leading regional radio
operators to bid for regional digital radio, has won the first
ever digital licence for the North East region, the Radio
Authority announced today.

The full line-up of services on the multiplex, will include:

Fun                  For the first time in the UK - a dedicated
                     children's radio station
                     
Urban Flava          The Beat on the streets - hot R&B, urban
                     and hip-hop
                     
Heart                The North East's best music mix
                     
Jazz                 From smooth jazz to standards - with a
                     pinch of soul and blues
                     
The Arrow            Adult rock radio - with classic songs from
                     the legends of rock
                     
Smooth               Melodic, memorable, tuneful - mature music
                     for a mature audience
                     
Digital News         another first - rolling local news for the
Network              North East
                     
Galaxy               The North East's vibrant mix of dance and
                     rhythmic music
                     
Century              The North East's premier talk/music mix
                     station
                     


The line-up will also include a data channel, containing news,
information and entertainment for the North East.

The consortium includes London Stock Exchange listed companies:
Chrysalis Group, Capital Radio, jazz fm, UBC Media and Psion.

MXR North East promises to be "Local from Launch". The importance
of local programming to listeners in the North East is borne out
by the findings of the research commissioned by MXR for this
application. All of the digitally produced channels (Fun, Arrow,
Heart, Jazz, Urban Flava and Smooth) will be able to insert, at
will, local news bulletins, headlines, sports news, weather
forecasts and additional local information strands within all
daytime programming, and all have committed to using some or all
of this local information to suit their own format needs from
launch.

The multiplex will be live from Spring 2001.

MXR Consortium Chairman, Phil Riley, said, "This is great news
for all concerned. MXR will deliver the next generation of radio
that listeners in the North East have been waiting for."

Enquiries:

Clark Turner
Chrysalis Radio Press Office
Tel: 020 7470 1024
cturner@chrysalisradio.co.uk
Editor's Notes

Chrysalis Radio, Capital Radio, jazz fm and Guardian Media Group,
who between them control all of the analogue regional licences
covered by the five digital areas (Century and Galaxy in the
North East, Century and jazz in the North West, Galaxy in
Yorkshire, Heart in the West Midlands and Galaxy and Real radio
in the Severn Estuary - South Wales), have joined forces to offer
their existing analogue stations exclusively to the MXR
consortium, along with a range of additional digital-only
programming.

As a founding shareholder in MXR, Ford UK, intends to fit digital
radios as original equipment in Ford new cars sold in the UK by
2004, and to promote digital radio upgrade availability in its
authorised dealerships, subject to the technology meeting the
company's standards in terms of quality, affordability and market
demand.

1)   Many of the Local Digital Radio multiplex licences covering
  the same areas as the regional licences listed above have already
  been awarded. Full details of all awards can be obtained from the
  Radio Authority.
  
  
  
2)   Digital radio is a new transmission system that provides the
  listener with bundles (multiplexes) of audio services to new
  portable radios, in-car receivers and personal computers, with
  unprecedently clear reception. Being digital, it can also
  broadcast data services, which may or may not be related to the
  radio programming. As such, digital radio will provide an
  excellent opportunity to both enhance the quality of existing
  radio services and introduce new services and formats across the
  UK.

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