Two UK broadcasters announce a pop-up digital jazz station

Jazz FM and the BBC are working together to create a pop-up digital radio station called BBC Music Jazz. The two broadcasters are usually competing for ears, and this is their first collaboration. The pop-up jazz station will include hosts from both platforms. It will air on DAB radio sets, online, and on the iPlayer from Nov. 12-15, the dates for the EFG London Jazz Festival.

“It’s fantastic that jazz is bringing the BBC and commercial radio together in this unique collaboration,” Jazz FM CEO Jonathan Arendt said. “We know that the pop-up will introduce new audiences across the country to the wonders of jazz and the EFG London Jazz Festival.”

The BBC had said in a recent report that it would be seeking more partnerships and digital opportunities in planning for the future. Jazz FM, a UK broadcast station, is also throwing resources into digital options. It is signed on as one of 14 new stations in the UK’s second digital radio multiplex.