Help Receiving BBC TV and Radio
Can I get DAB digital radio in my area?
Find out using the postcode checker on our homepage or on the
BBC Digital Radio
website. The BBC currently covers around 86% of the UK population and plans to add new transmitters to increase this to 90%.
Why can't I get my BBC local radio station on DAB?
The BBC only has enough transmission capacity for its national radio services, so its local radio stations are made available by commercial operators. In some areas, commercial licences have not yet been awarded, so there is at present no operator to broadcast the BBC local stations on DAB. Note that on DAB you can listen to local radio stations only in the area they serve. For more information, see
BBC local radio stations on DAB
.
What is the display screen on my DAB radio for?
The screen displays various pieces of information, including the name of the station, the type of station (e.g. Pop, News), the time and date, and the signal strength. It also shows scrolling text giving information about the programme on air, such as the music track playing, the phone-in number, news headlines or the local weather. There is usually a button marked 'Display' or 'Info' that allows you to switch between the pieces of information. Some radios have an electronic programme guide (EPG) showing what programmes are on now and coming next.
How can I listen to Radio 4's Daily Service and Yesterday in Parliament?
How can I listen to Test Match Special on digital radio?
Why can't I tune in to BBC 5 Live Sports Extra?
Why is there sometimes a question mark next to a station name?
Test Match Special on digital radio is broadcast on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra. This is a 'secondary' service (a part-time station) that offers extra live coverage of sports events. The Daily Service and Yesterday in Parliament are broadcast on another secondary service, Radio 4 LW.
Some DAB radio sets only list these secondary services on their display screen when they are on air, while others will show their name with a question mark before them. If you try to select the station when it is not broadcasting, the display screen will state "Station off air" or "Station not available". Some radios have a light that comes on to show that a secondary service is available, or you may see an arrow next to the service name, e.g. BBC5Live>.
Why are Radio 3 and Radio 4 quieter than other stations on DAB?
This is not a fault but a characteristic of the stations. Many stations process their signal before transmitting it, in order to boost quiet passages and give a louder overall sound. This reduces the contrast between loud and soft passages (the dynamic range). Radio 3 and Radio 4 do not process their signal, so, if you are listening in a quiet room, you can enjoy the full dynamic range of, for example, classical music. If you are in a noisy environment, most DAB radios have a Dynamic Range Control (DRC) feature that you can turn on to increase the overall loudness.
Why is there a time delay of a second or two between digital and analogue radio broadcasts?
The delay is because the digital and analogue signals are sent in different ways. Analogue signals are transmitted direct, but digital signals are compressed before being transmitted and are then uncompressed by your radio and turned back into sound. You will even notice differences between different digital radio broadcasts, for instance on DAB and digital TV.
If you set your clock from the BBC 'pips' and want to be accurate to the second, you should use an FM or AM broadcast.
Why does my DAB radio clock not show the correct time?
We are aware that some DAB radios can display a clock time up to one minute adrift from the correct time.
The time shown on the radio's display screen is set from the broadcast signal, and is regularly checked and, if necessary, adjusted to match the signal. This can only happen when the radio is switched on and receiving a station. Many radios only check the broadcast time once an hour.
There are several reasons why the radio's display screen does not show the correct time:
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