SCARLETS, Wales and British & Irish Lions centre Jonathan Davies officially switched on 3 new DAB digital radio transmitters ahead of the opening round of the RaboDirect PRO12 on Friday evening at Parc y Scarlets.

The 3 new DAB digital radio transmitters will give 350,000 listeners 7 radio stations for the first time on DAB in the West and Mid Wales area*.

The switch-on means listeners can now get 5 national radio stations - BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, Nation Radio, Nation Hits! andReal Radio Wales, as well as local stations Radio Pembrokeshire and Radio Carmarthenshire on DAB digital radio.

The three new transmitters at Preseli, Carmel and Kilvey Hill take digital radio coverage for these stations from zero to 350,000listeners in the area, and add over 1,000 km of roads into DAB coverage for the first time. A fourth transmitter is being built and will launch at Greenhill next year.

Martin Mumford, Managing Director of Radio Carmarthenshire, said: “We are committed to extending digital coverage through local transmitters across Wales and this switch-on, which gives 350,000 listeners access to our stations on DAB, is another important step for our industry.”

Broadcaster Jason Mohammad, who hosts a daily show on BBC Radio Wales and presents Final Score on BBC One, said he was excited about the launch of the new digital transmitters: “It’s great news that so many more homes will be able to receive the BBC national stations for Wales on DAB, and now be able to listen to BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru’s coverage of sport in Wales and the exciting new season of Premier League Football and RaboDirect Pro12 Rugby.”

To receive the new services, listeners with digital radios may have to re-tune their sets: find out more at getdigitalradio.com/retune