A Channel 4-led consortium in which Ulster Television has a 10% stake has won the right to broadcast 10 new national digital radio stations in the UK.
The 4 Digital Group, given the licence by media regulator Ofcom, wants to provide public service competition to the BBC.
Channel 4's partners in the group include BSkyB, Emap Radio and the Carphone Warehouse Group. The 12-year licence begins in July next year.
Stations will include rolling news, celebrity and lifestyle, public service speech radio, and children's services. One of the stations, Channel 4 Radio, is expected to be a daily rival to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.
UTV will provide a new all-talk station, called Talk Radio, to be launched next summer.
