[Spencer]

The contract to broadcast Absolute on DAB is between Bauer and Digital One, as opposed to being licenced directly by Ofcom. So they’re pretty safe on there.

One thing that this situation does change though, is that Absolute will no longer be bound by the terms of their AM licence. So if they wanted to drop, say, news bulletins or travel news, there’d be nothing to stop them.

Yep they lose a few rules not being INR2, one of those is having to play party election broadcasts, although that's never been something that's ever happened. 

I'm not sure about news provision, every radio station has bulletins, surely they don't all choose to do them?

I don't think all stations have news bulletins. Off the top of my head, I don't recall having heard any on Smooth Chill or Kisstory (unless I've been listening at the wrong times). I doubt very much that they have them on Fun Kids either – and Birdsong certainly never had them.

My understanding is that, as long as you adhere to the Broadcasting Code, you can broadcast pretty much whatever you want on a DAB channel. I think the only Ofcom requirements are of the mux operator to carry a variety of different types of services, but in terms of regulation, it's a lot more free and easy than on FM and AM.

I would imagine most stations on DAB carry news bulletins, either because they're simulcasts of FM/AM services, or that they feel people expect to hear them and there's some value in them.