Telewest signs GWR carriage deal

Updated: 01:20

GWR have signed up with Telewest Broadband to broadcast four of its digital stations into millions of cable homes.

Telewest will broadcast the four stations - Classic FM, the Core, Planet Rock and The Storm - from February 7 on its digital cable service, which will increase the stations' potential cable and satellite audience to eight million. Classic FM, which currently transmits on EPG 922, will be moving position according to a report in the Digital Spy Telewest Broadband forum.

The deal comes after last week's Rajar figures showed that 7.5 million people are listening to radio via digital platforms, with GWR's digital stations reaching 80% of the population and The Storm having a potential digital radio audience of 13 million.

Simon Ward, GWR Group New Media and Digital Director, said: "Given that our aim is to connect our brands to consumers in all ways that appeal to them, this makes perfect sense and will only increase the availability of our brands, audience reach and audience share."

GWR have also announced the completion of a sophisticated new transmission network for Classic FM, constructed by NTL Broadcast under its £25 million twelve-year transmission contract with the group.