News

In the fall of 2018, Deutschlandradio will be the first public service broadcaster in Germany to switch completely to a purely digital broadcasting technology with DAB+ in two existing FM broadcasting areas, Helgoland (from 28 September) and in the region Mittenwald / Krün / Wallgau in the upper Isar Valley (from 5 October) with programmes Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandfunk culture and Deutschlandfunk Nova and the special channel documents and debates digitally via antenna be received, together with the complete range of programs in the nationwide DAB + multiplex on channel 5C.

In the fall of 2018, Deutschlandradio will be the first public service broadcaster in Germany to switch completely to a purely digital broadcasting technology with DAB+ in two existing FM broadcasting areas.

Paneda has been awarded to provide the first DAB head-end system in Thailand, the system includes a fully redundant system including the unique Paneda SMART content switching. This first DAB system will be on-air by the end of the year and starts in Bangkok. Thailand will continue to roll out DAB networks across Thailand, starting 2019. "This first order for DAB+ head-end systems in Thailand is a big step into digitisation of radio in Thailand, and we are proud to be selected as provider of the DAB technology," Paneda Asia Sales Manager Anupon Tajawanno said.

Whether DAB+ is just an intermediary technology on the way to 5G, or whether it has a long-term perspective, was discussed at the Radio Summit at the Austrian Media Days event in Vienna. During the panel session "DAB+ - Intermediate Technology, Flop or Perspective", speakers noted that 5G technology would be mainly used for video, and would not reach peak usage until 2030.

A regional meeting of regulatory bodies on the introduction of digital radio (DAB) is being held in Sarajevo today. On this occasion, the Communications Regulatory Agency hosted representatives of regulators from the Republic of Croatia, the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro to exchange experiences, challenges and good practices.

About two thirds of the additional resources (8.4 million francs) go to the 13 regional televisions holding a concession, and a good third to the 21 radio rights holders. With regard to the planned amount for radio, 85% goes to commercial radio stations in the peripheral and mountain regions, and 15% to non-commercial supplementary radios.

The California based Xperi Corporation has announced an agreement between its wholly owned subsidiary, DTS, and BBC Radio, to run a hybrid radio trial for 18 months. Under terms of the agreement, the UK public service broadcaster will provide content directly into the DTS® Connected Radio™ platform.

DAB+ radio frequencies will be available for tender for the first time in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in Belgium, after the regulator CSA has approved the tender process to proceed. Successful tenders will be awarded for nine years.

Sound Digital, the national commercial DAB multiplex operated by Arqiva, Bauer and Wireless, has announced that its expansion programme of 19 new transmitters is nearing completion, with the first of the extended coverage areas due to go live in the coming weeks.

Margot James MP, Minister for Digital and Creative Industries at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, has urged the UK radio industry to continue to collaborate to support a successful transition to digital.