News

A new Radio World ebook explores “Recipes for Visual Display.” This is an excerpt. RW: How well do you think the message about the importance of visual display and good metadata has sunk in with broadcasters? Nick Piggott, project director of RadioDNS: “Not as widely and deeply as I think it needs to. In the case of the connected car, the competition for prominence isn’t just against the other radio stations, so don’t benchmark against just your competitors... we need to be acting in a coordinated and standardised way, so that the proposition to the automotive industry is consistent, not just from station to station, but country to country as well. Standards like FM, RDS, DAB and RadioDNS enable radio’s universality.”

The mabb Media Council has decided to invite tenders for five FM frequencies in Berlin and the state of Brandenburg. The digitisation of terrestrial radio broadcasting will be advanced with a requirement for FM/DAB+ simulcast. Martin Gorholt, Chairman of the mabb Media Council: ‘We want to further advance the digital transformation of the radio market. For this reason, we are combining the FM allocations with the requirement that the providers broadcast their respective programmes in a so-called FM/DAB+ simulcast, i.e. both via FM and simultaneously via DAB+. We want to offer all market participants the opportunity to accompany the digitisation process in a prudent and well-positioned manner.’

On 20 December 2024, MDR will expand its DAB+ transmitter network in Saxony-Anhalt to include the new locations in Hettstedt and Eisleben. This will further improve DAB+ coverage in the Mansfelder Land region. ‘We are already very well positioned with digital radio reception in Central Germany. Now we need to close individual gaps in coverage and optimise the reception of all MDR radio stations via DAB+ as a whole,’ says Niels Schulze, Head of Programme Distribution at MDR. This increases the level of coverage in buildings in Saxony-Anhalt from 96 to 98 per cent; coverage for mobile reception is already at 99 per cent.

Delta Radio, Polesine's historic broadcaster, expands into neighbouring Emilia-Romagna. As of Thursday 19 December, it is present in Bologna and Ferrara (and soon in other provinces) on the CrDab mux. It is broadcast on channel 9B. Delta Radio can be heard on FM in the provinces of Rovigo, Padua and part of Ferrara, as well as on DAB+ in part of the Veneto region (as well as - now - in part of Emilia).

For the past few days, the people of Arras have been receiving Horizon in digital quality, thanks to DAB+. A new transmitter has just been installed in Arras. Like FM, DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is a radio broadcasting technology but with digital quality, whereas FM is in analogue mode. DAB+ is to radio what DTT was to television: better quality and a richer range of programmes. In France, development continues. According to Arcom (formerly CSA), almost 70% of the population of mainland France is already covered by this technology.

Thursday 19 December brought a significant distribution change in North Bohemia in the field of digital broadcasting DAB+. The operator RTI cz started to use the Kukla mast, the Teleko company ended its operations there. In view of the different programme offer of the two operators, distribution changes have also been made to some stations. Newly, Radio 1 is available from the North Bohemian transmitter Kukla, which, like some other DAB+ stations, includes the RTI cz multiplex. These are specifically Signal Radio and Radio Beat.

The twenty-second individual authorisation for the use of frequencies of the multiplex C for digital broadcasting of commercial radios concerns the transmitter located at the Příbram observatory. After switching to the final channel 8D it will be able to increase the transmitter's power almost tenfold to 2 kW. Earlier, the operator obtained individual authorisation for its other Central Bohemian transmitter in Beroun, which will be re-tuned at the same time as in Pribram. RTI cz has already tuned its Prague transmitter in Strahov to the same channel 8D and is also planning to use another Prague transmitter of Teleko digital at the City Tower building in Pankrác.

Registrations are open for the next edition of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s (ABU) Digital Broadcasting Symposium DBS), to be held from February 24 to 27 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The DBS2025 event, through its conference sessions, panel discussions, focused workshops and masterclasses, presented by eminent experts across the globe, will address challenges, find solutions and share experiences related to digital transition, technology implementation, creative content ideas, and enhancing user experiences. An ever-expanding range of technologies is now on the market, providing broadcasters with important new opportunities. DBS showcases these to help broadcasters make the right decisions. WorldDAB will be strongly represented at the event.

As the ‘Ensemble pour le DAB+’ (Together for DAB+) association brought together the extended radio sector with professionals from the retail, automotive and institutional sectors on Monday 16 December, it is announcing a proactive plan to raise awareness of DAB+ in 2025 among the general public and professionals. The plan will include training and promotional activities. After an initial national campaign, and the recruitment of a managing director in 2024, ‘Ensemble pour le DAB+’ intends to step up its efforts to promote the digital terrestrial radio broadcasting standard among professionals and the general public.

‘Ensemble pour le DAB+’ wants to step up the promotion of DAB+ in France next year. It unveiled its ‘proactive plan’ to raise awareness of the digital terrestrial radio broadcasting standard among professionals and the general public, at a meeting on 16 December attended by a wide range of players in the sector (retail, automotive, institutional, etc.). In particular, the association plans to step up its communication campaigns in 2025: four campaigns staggered over February, May, August and the end of the year. They will highlight DAB+, the purchase of compatible receivers at home and the use of this technology in the car. Communication tools will be made available to shops and dealerships, and campaigns on radio stations' social networks will round off the campaign.