BBC DAB National

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BBC DAB National is a Digital audio broadcasting multiplex in the UK, for a number of radio stations which have UK wide coverage; the multiplex broadcasts on Block 12B (225.648 MHz).

The multiplex is owned and operated by the BBC and is transmitted from a number of transmitter sites across the country; it only carries BBC radio stations.

1 Stations Available
2 Note
3 External links
4 References

Radio 4 LW On DAB only covers Yesterday In Parliament and The Daily Service.

On 6 July 2006 (or thereabouts) the BBC permanently reduced the bit rate transmission of BBC Radio 3 from 192 kbit/s to 160 kbit/s. The resulting degradation of audio quality has prompted a number of complaints being made to the Corporation.^[1]

Broadcasting BBC Five Live Sports Extra requires reducing the bit rate of other networks; since the launch of Sports Extra, the BBC frequently reduced Radio 3 to 160 kbit/s when Five Live Sports Extra is on air. This was still considerably higher than any other BBC network. Recently, Radio 3's bit rate has been permanently reduced to 160 kbit/s instead of returning to 192 kbit/s once the sports commentary is over. The reason for this is that the BBC have introduced a non-stop repeating trail, at 32 kbit/s, promoting BBC Five Live and Sports Extra. This effectively keeps Sports Extra on air even when there is no sports coverage. According to the BBC Annual Report 2005-2006, the station only broadcast for a total of 1,209 hours (an average of just over 23 hours per week) last year whereas the trail runs permanently, using bandwidth previously allocated to Radio 3, except when there is a sports commentary.