Germany - Current situation - History
08.02.2018
The take-up rate of new cars (German manufacturers) with DAB-radio (as standard and as an option) is 39.1% in 2017, (Source: DAT Report 2018, p. 8) up from 21% in 2016 and 14.4% in 2015.
New German coalition government proposes strong support for digital radio
The coalition contract states the new government “will continue to develop the regulations, regarding the interoperability in § 48 of the telecommunications law, in order to strengthen digital radio as a low-threshold medium. With the involvement of all stakeholders, we will develop actions, in order to further promote the digitisation of the radio.” On the EU Digital Europe strategy the contract states, “We are committed to the interoperability of digital radios also on the European level.” More info
05.01.2018
Digitisation Report 2017 carried out by TNS Infratest
European Parliament wants European interoperability standard for digital radio
German Government will mandate Digital Interface in most radios
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) is working to promote digital radio services by mandating certain features in new radios. The Action Plan for the Transformation of Radio Broadcasting in the Digital Age Roadmap - Progress Report for the Digital Radio Board / Bill of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy - Fourth Law amending the Telecommunications Act (English translation) suggests that high-quality radio receivers may only be sold if they are suitable for the reception of standards-appropriate digital signals. According to the bill, devices which are “primarily intended for the reception of sound broadcasting and which are capable of displaying program names must be provided with at least one interface, according to the recognised rules of technology, which allows the user to receive and reproduce digitally encoded contents." Whether that interface is DAB+, LAN or WLAN does not matter, according to the same article. Source
Read the BMWi press release
EU-wide market development of digital radio
At its meeting on 29 June 2016 in Berlin, the German-French Radio Commission requested the German and the French Governments to ask EU Institutions to assist with EU-wide market development of digital radio, by making it mandatory for all new radio receivers sold to be equipped with DAB+.
German Ministry for Digital Infrastructure: DAB+ broadcast is the successor to FM
With its first meeting in June 2015, the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is the host of a high-level Digital Radio Board for Germany which has the task to create the framework for a roadmap regarding a smooth transition from FM to DAB+ as soon as possible considering that the switch from analogue to digital radio in Germany is necessary and inevitable.
The Digital Radio Board currently comprises 15 high-level representatives of BMVI and federal states, ARD, Deutschlandradio, commercial broadcasters, regional media authorities, radio set and car manufacturers and the federal network agency.
By common accord between its members, the board is heading to create a specific timetable within a year's time for the switch from the analogue to digital terrestrial radio.
Read the BMVI press release.
The Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate has announced support for an initiative outlining that all radio devices should have digital capability. This can be seen as a very important initiative for the development of digital radio in Germany and across the rest of Europe. http://ow.ly/5ihn303Ilcm
Useful Documents
Fact-sheet by ARD-Generalsekretatiat Dr. Susanne Pfab
Statement by the head of production- and technology (PTKO) Dr. Ulrich Liebenow
Digital Radio Action Plan
German Minister Dorothee Bär published in February 2017 the Digital Radio Action Plan on the BMVI (Federal Ministry of Traffic and Transport) website: http://www.bmvi.de/SharedDocs/DE/Artikel/DG/aktionsplan-digitalradio.html.
The plan was passed by a majority of the Board, with the exception of VPRT (one of the two associations which represent private broadcasters) who opposed the plan and have now left the Board. Nonetheless, the rollout of the plan will continue and the remaining partners on the Board are now obliged to follow the eight measures written in the roadmap. There will now be a series of discussions with the individual states (Länder), led by Rhineland-Palatinate (Heike Raab) and BMVI (Dorothee Bär). The Digital Radio Board is headed by State Secretary Bär and includes representatives from the individual states, broadcasters, the federal network agency and industry.
The plan is available in English here.
2nd national multiplex (Bundesmux)
Antenne Deutschland has been announced as the new platform provider for the second nationwide DAB+ multiplex in Germany. Behind the consortium are Media Broadcast and Absolut Digital. The multiplex will more than double the range of digital radio channels broadcast nationwide.
The allocation of frequencies for the 2nd national DAB+ multiplex was approved by the Presidents of the German Laender. The Tender process launched the week commencing 12 December 2016 and completed on 6 June 2017 when the Gremienvorsitzendenkonferenz decided the “winner” of the process. From that date, the winner started to build infrastructure, rent office space and hire staff. More on the background here: https://www.teltarif.de/digitalradio-digital-radio-dab-plus/news/68450.html. The second MUX will not start earlier than December 2017, rather in Q1 2018. The second national DAB+ multiplex, which was initially requested in September 2016, will aim to cover nationwide private radio programs.
Four applications for the second nationwide DAB+ multiplex were submitted to the Sächsisches Landesanstalt für private Rundfunk und neue Medien (SLM) and included Digital Audio Broadcasting Platform DABP GmbH, Absolut Digital GmbH & Co. KG, Media Broadcast Digital Radio GmbH and Radi/o digital GmbH.
1st national multiplex
The nationwide DAB+ network was extended by around 50 transmitters with a completion date of 2016. In June 20017, there were 117 transmitters broadcasting. Germany is now developing a DSO strategy. Now, with the first national mux, 96% of all people are covered (June 2017).
16.10.2017
Digitisation Report 2017 carried out by TNS Infratest
European Parliament wants European interoperability standard for digital radio
German Government will mandate Digital Interface in most radios
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) is working to promote digital radio services by mandating certain features in new radios. The Action Plan for the Transformation of Radio Broadcasting in the Digital Age Roadmap - Progress Report for the Digital Radio Board / Bill of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy - Fourth Law amending the Telecommunications Act (English translation) suggests that high-quality radio receivers may only be sold if they are suitable for the reception of standards-appropriate digital signals. According to the bill, devices which are “primarily intended for the reception of sound broadcasting and which are capable of displaying program names must be provided with at least one interface, according to the recognised rules of technology, which allows the user to receive and reproduce digitally encoded contents." Whether that interface is DAB+, LAN or WLAN does not matter, according to the same article. Source
Read the BMWi press release
EU-wide market development of digital radio
At its meeting on 29 June 2016 in Berlin, the German-French Radio Commission requested the German and the French Governments to ask EU Institutions to assist with EU-wide market development of digital radio, by making it mandatory for all new radio receivers sold to be equipped with DAB+.
German Ministry for Digital Infrastructure: DAB+ broadcast is the successor to FM
With its first meeting in June 2015, the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) is the host of a high-level Digital Radio Board for Germany which has the task to create the framework for a roadmap regarding a smooth transition from FM to DAB+ as soon as possible considering that the switch from analogue to digital radio in Germany is necessary and inevitable.
The Digital Radio Board currently comprises 15 high-level representatives of BMVI and federal states, ARD, Deutschlandradio, commercial broadcasters, regional media authorities, radio set and car manufacturers and the federal network agency.
By common accord between its members, the board is heading to create a specific timetable within a year's time for the switch from the analogue to digital terrestrial radio.
Read the BMVI press release.
The Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate has announced support for an initiative outlining that all radio devices should have digital capability. This can be seen as a very important initiative for the development of digital radio in Germany and across the rest of Europe. http://ow.ly/5ihn303Ilcm
Useful Documents
Fact-sheet by ARD-Generalsekretatiat Dr. Susanne Pfab
Statement by the head of production- and technology (PTKO) Dr. Ulrich Liebenow
Digital Radio Action Plan
German Minister Dorothee Bär published in February 2017 the Digital Radio Action Plan on the BMVI (Federal Ministry of Traffic and Transport) website: http://www.bmvi.de/SharedDocs/DE/Artikel/DG/aktionsplan-digitalradio.html.
The plan was passed by a majority of the Board, with the exception of VPRT (one of the two associations which represent private broadcasters) who opposed the plan and have now left the Board. Nonetheless, the rollout of the plan will continue and the remaining partners on the Board are now obliged to follow the eight measures written in the roadmap. There will now be a series of discussions with the individual states (Länder), led by Rhineland-Palatinate (Heike Raab) and BMVI (Dorothee Bär). The Digital Radio Board is headed by State Secretary Bär and includes representatives from the individual states, broadcasters, the federal network agency and industry.
The plan is available in English here.
2nd national multiplex (Bundesmux)
The allocation of frequencies for the 2nd national DAB+ multiplex has been approved by the Presidents of the German Laender. The Tender process launched the week commencing 12 December 2016 and will complete on 6 June 2017 when the Gremienvorsitzendenkonferenz will decide who will be the “winner” of the process. From then on, the winner will start building infrastructure, rent office space and hire staff. More on the background here: https://www.teltarif.de/digitalradio-digital-radio-dab-plus/news/68450.html. The second MUX will not start earlier than December 2017, rather in Q1 2018. The second national DAB+ multiplex, which was initially requested in September 2016, will aim to cover nationwide private radio programs.
Four applications for the second nationwide DAB+ multiplex have been submitted to the Sächsisches Landesanstalt für private Rundfunk und neue Medien (SLM) and include Digital Audio Broadcasting Platform DABP GmbH, Absolut Digital GmbH & Co. KG, Media Broadcast Digital Radio GmbH and Radi/o digital GmbH.
1st national multiplex
The nationwide DAB+ network was extended by around 50 transmitters with a completion date of 2016. In June 20017, there were 117 transmitters broadcasting. Germany is now developing a DSO strategy. Now, with the first national mux, 96% of all people are covered (June 2017).