Crown Castle International
and Switchdigital Launch London's Second Digital Radio Service
London -- June 28,
2000 -- Switchdigital and Crown Castle UK Limited, a subsidiary of Crown
Castle International Corp. (NASDAQ:TWRS) announced the launch of London's
latest multi-million pound digital radio multiplex. This digital service
introduces a mixture of new and existing programme services with crystal
clear sound to over 8 million Greater London listeners. Services include:
Classic Soul, Heart 106.2, The Lounge, Big, Clearchannel, Ministry of
Sound, Jazz FM, Travel and Traffic and BBC London Live.
Kelvin MacKenzie,
Chairman of Switchdigital, launched the service from County Hall, London
SE1, in the company of key figures from London's vibrant local radio sector,
plus manufacturers and retailers of the new digital radio receivers.
Crown Castle - pioneers
of the world's first nationwide Digital Radio network, built for the BBC
in 1996, has designed, built and installed the new digital multiplex for
Switchdigital in a record 2 ½ months. Crown Castle will provide Switchdigital
with complete visibility of the monitoring, diagnostic and control features
of the multiplex equipment and transmission network, thus enabling the
Multiplex Director to control the multiplex from the Switchdigital offices
in London. The transmission network will be monitored 24 hours a day,
365 days a year by experienced senior engineers at Crown Castle's Technical
Operations Centre at their Warwick Headquarters.
The new multiplex
will be transmitted initially from Crown Castle's Crystal Palace site
and then rolled out to a further 9 sites across Greater London. It provides
the London audience with an exciting range of new digital audio services.
These are provided by leading radio companies, as well as new players
in the London radio industry and extend listening choice with everything
from speech and music through easy listening to club dance.
John Ward, Managing
Director, Broadcast at Crown Castle UK commented: "We are delighted that
we have been able to exploit our extensive knowledge and experience in
digital transmission by providing the technology for London's second digital
multiplex."
Simon Spanswick, Multiplex
Director, Switchdigital stated: "Switchdigital selected Crown Castle because
of their significant experience in digital transmission for both radio
and television. The company has delivered everything it undertook to provide
in less than 3 months from the award of the multiplex licence. Crown Castle
has impressed us with the range of innovative ideas it has put forward
and implemented and the expertise of its staff."
- ends -
NOTES TO EDITORS
Switchdigital is a
joint venture between The Wireless Group, Clear Channel International,
Virgin Radio and the Carphone Warehouse. Switchdigital was awarded the
second London-wide commercial radio multiplex by the Radio Authority in
April 2000.
www.switchdigital.com
Crown Castle International
Corp. engineers, deploys, owns and operates technologically advanced shared
wireless infrastructure, including extensive networks of towers and rooftops
as well as analogue and digital audio and television broadcast transmission
systems. The Company offers near-universal broadcast coverage in the United
Kingdom and significant wireless communications coverage to 68 of the
top 100 United States markets and more than 92 % of the Australian population.
UK broadcast customers include BBC, Virgin Radio, Talk Sport and ONdigital.
Pro forma for all
closed and previously announced transactions, Crown Castle International
owns, operates and manages over 11,000 wireless communication towers internationally.
www.crowncastle.com
and www.3g-thefuture.com.
Digital radio is a
fundamental advance in radio technology. It offers listeners interference-free
reception, near-CD quality sound, easy to use radios plus a wider choice
of programmes, text and ultimately, data services. The BBC started its
Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) services in September 1995, and Digital
One, the national commercial digital radio broadcaster, launched on 15
November, 1999. Local and regional services have been launched by commercial
radio operators in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.
CONTACT
Stephen Arnold
Communications Manager
Tel: 01926 416 870
Mob: 01926 416 673
stephen.arnold@ngridwireless.com
Switchdigital Audrey
Nash Tel+ 44 020 7959 7869 Anash@switchdigital.com
Tel+ 44 020 7959 786
This press release
contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on
management's belief as well as assumptions made by and information currently
available to management. Although Crown Castle believes that the expectations
reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give
no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Such
statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions.
Should one or more of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions
prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expected.
More information about potential factors, which could affect the company's
financial results, is included in the Risk Factors sections of the company's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company assumes
no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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