Why can't I find you on DAB?

 

You can find Boom Radio on DAB  in much of the UK. Our sister station, Boom Light, is not on DAB.
 

Am I in your area?

Our DAB signal reaches 84% of households, but not everywhere. You may sadly not be in our area.   Check yours here

Sadly, we cannot extend coverage as we are carried on a transmitter network which is not operated by us - along with about 20 other stations such as Jazz and Planet Rock. Other DAB stations may have a different range as they are on a different network.

You CAN hear us online  wherever you are though!  On your smart speaker (Alexa/Google) or phone/tablet/PC.

 

Why can I see Boom Radio listed on DAB but not hear anything?

You have one of the older DAB radios. Sadly they don't receive the newer stations like Boom which use a newer DAB+ approach. Find out more here.

 

Why does the DAB signal dip in and out at home?

The Boom signal may be weak where you live - and several factors may be affecting reception too - including the weather, the sensitivity of your radio, where it is in the house, how the aerial is extended/positioned, and interference from other electrical appliances nearby.  Try moving your radio, extending the aerial and pointing it in different directions. 

Sadly, we can't improve the signal as we are carried on a transmitter network which is not operated by us - along with 20 other stations

 

Why does the DAB signal dip in and out on my car radio?

Our signal reaches most major roads, but there are patches where it doesn't. Sadly, we can't extend coverage as we are carried on a transmitter network which is not operated by us - along with around 20 other stations.  The signal can also be affected by the sensitivity of the radio in your car, the weather and even the direction of travel!

If you struggle to hear us, maybe try linking your phone to your car audio system.

 

Any other thoughts about why I can't hear you on my car radio?

On some car radio sets, stations are unhelpfully listed in clusters depending on the transmitter network they on - look for SDL - we are with several other stations on that network!

 

Why isn’t Boom in stereo on DAB?

That would double the cost for us, sadly - and most listening is actually in mono. If you do want stereo, check out our online feed. It's also much better quality. Half our listening these days is online.

 

Why can't I get Boom Light on DAB?

Boom Light  isn't available on DAB. It's too expensive for us. You can hear Light on a 'smart speaker' (Alexa or Google) mobile phone, tablet, laptop or PC. Find out more about all the various ways here.

 

Why isn’t Boom Radio on FM?

Sadly, it's not possible. There's no more room on FM for a new national station.

The reason we can exist at all is thanks to the fresh space on the dial created by DAB. DAB has meant an increase from a handful of UK stations to many hundreds.

So - FM is unavailable for us - and it would have been too costly!

 

How do I listen if I can't get DAB?

You can hear us anywhere in the UK on an Alexa (or Google), mobile phone, tablet, laptop or PC. If you're travelling, you may be able to connect your phone to your car audio system. Find out more here.