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Monday, 11 February 2008, 09:58 GMT

Two GCap digital stations closed

Radio microphones GCap Media, the UK's biggest commercial radio broadcaster and owner of Classic FM, is to close two digital radio stations, as it focuses on key outlets.

The Jazz and Planet Rock are to go, and GCap's stake in Digital One, a national broadcasting platform for digital stations, will be sold to Arqiva.

GCap also plans to boost advertising at its flagship Capital 95.8 station.

In January, GCap rejected an approach from rival Global Radio that valued it at about £313m.

"We believe a further offer from Global Radio is likely and that other parties could also enter the fray"
Roddy Davidson, Altium Securities
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B>What future for DAB radio?

Chief executive Fru Hazlitt said digital "was not an economically viable growth platform for GCap Media".

She said GCap hoped to make £8.8m of annual savings through disposals and restructuring.

She also hopes GCap, whose stations include Choice and Xfm, can achieve profit margins of up to 19% by March 2010 under the "radical but realistic" plans.

In November GCap, hit in recent years by falling advertising revenues, reported a 3% fall in six month underlying pre-tax profits to £5.6m.

GCap's previous chief executive, Ralph Bernard, quit last year after profits fell on the back of sliding advertising revenues.

Altium Securities analyst Roddy Davidson said: "We believe a further offer from Global Radio is likely and that other parties could also enter the fray."

Meanwhile, BBC Radio and the 4 Digital Group confirmed their commitment to develop digital radio in the UK.

The two parties said they would look at ways of encouraging more rapid consumer take-up of digital radio and developing the available technology to secure a successful future for DAB.

"It is clear to us that DAB has an exciting future in a fast converging UK media industry," they said in a statement.




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Related to this story:
Bidding war talk boosts Xfm owner (07 Jan 08 |  Business )
Radio group GCap Media boss quits (23 Nov 07 |  Business )
Tough ad market dents GCap profit (30 May 07 |  Business )
Merger costs hit profits at GCap (24 May 06 |  Business )
GCap pays price of short ad slots (24 Mar 06 |  Business )
Radio group hit by profit slide (24 Nov 05 |  Business )
Caution as radio group launches (09 May 05 |  Business )

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