Guernsey will not get DAB radio

Image caption, Ms Mack said subject to funding and the 大象传媒 Trust Guernsey would be part of future expansions

Digital radio is due to be rolled out to the Channel Islands this summer, but not to the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Services such as the World Service, 5 live and 大象传媒 6 music, will be broadcast in Jersey via DAB radio from June.

Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm are not due to receive these stations via digital radio during the current charter period, which runs until 2017.

Tom Everest, a senior distribution manager at the 大象传媒, said the stations were available by other means.

He said: "大象传媒 Services are made available on multiple different platforms, digital radio provides some benefits but you can get all those digital-wide services on Freeview... on satellite, whether Sky or Freesat, and on the internet."

'Not possible'

The 大象传媒 is currently expanding the digital radio network aiming to serve about 93% of the population of the British Isles by the end of the year.

Lindsey Mack, the 大象传媒's senior project manager of digital radio, said: "Unfortunately the current build out programme will not serve the whole of the British Isles reflecting the limited funding that is available for 大象传媒 digital radio in this charter period."

She said it was regretful this left some communities without access to the services.

Ms Mack said: "Extending the coverage to Jersey in this part of the network roll-out allowed the 大象传媒 to serve a reasonable sized self-contained community with a single transmitter and hopefully provide some overspill coverage to Guernsey.

"However, multiple transmitters would be required to serve all of Guernsey, which was not possible in the current round of funding.

"The 大象传媒 would expect that Guernsey will be part of the future expansion of the network, which is subject to funding and the agreement of the 大象传媒 Trust."

The decision on whether the islands will receive digital radio will be made in 2017 after the next licence fee settlement.