Welcome to West Sussex Digital #

3rd September 2025

West Sussex Digital has announced plans to revive local DAB digital radio for West Sussex. If successful, the new multiplex will allow small and non-profit broadcasters to be heard on DAB for the first time, bringing the county in line with nearby coastal locations such as Portsmouth and Brighton.

In a statement, Ofcom confirmed that the previous licence award it made on 22 July 2024 to a rival applicant, Digital Radio West Sussex Limited, for the South West Sussex small-scale DAB multiplex has been revoked.

Ofcom said the statutory conditions for revocation were met because the awarded licence was never formally granted and the service would not be launched within the required 18-month period. Instead the broadcast regulator will readvertise the licence later in 2025.

The consortium behind West Sussex Digital, which features not-for-profit and community broadcasters alongside West Sussex-based commercial radio operators and executives, remains committed to delivering a true local service for residents of the West Sussex coast. A new legal entity will shortly be formed to apply for the Ofcom licence. Broadcasters interested in joining the service are encouraged to contact us via our contact page.