News

WorldDAB, the global industry forum for DAB digital radio, is publishing a ground-breaking new book, "Establishing DAB+ Digital Broadcast Radio," written by broadcast technology expert Dr. Les Sabel. Launched to coincide with World Radio Day (13 February), the free ebook offers a unique, in-depth guide to the regulatory, technical and commercial aspects of establishing a successful DAB digital radio service. The book provides guidance to new countries seeking to launch DAB services, as well as offering advice for markets which have already started the process, and those who are nearing permanent service status. It is packed full of invaluable industry insights from Sabel’s twenty years of digital radio experience, to assist everyone involved in establishing DAB+, from media regulators and policy makers to broadcasters and engineers.

DAB+ is expanding and has a brand new station on offer. NRJ+ is coming to the network to broadcast the best of the 90s and 2000s. From 6 March, NRJ is unveiling its extension: NRJ+. A minimum of "blabla" for a maximum of hits and fun. "NRJ+ is a real alternative to NRJ, this new radio station is more musical and more adult. It is totally complementary to NRJ by offering a clear and strong promise: the best of the hits from the 90s and 2000s," says Nicolas Fadeur, Director of Programmes and Brand Manager.

The CEO of Radio France from 1986 to 1989, and co-creator of Europe's first all-news radio station in 1987, Faure contributed to the transformation of journalism in the 20th century. Interested in the idea of bringing new technologies to radio, he campaigned for digital terrestrial radio, chairing Club DAB from 1991 to 2002. He passed away on 25 February at the age of 96.

Radio FG has started broadcasting its programmes on DAB+ in Reims, Châlons-en-Champagne, Epernay, Charleville Mézières, and Vitry-le-François and will cover a large part of Champagne-Ardenne. The Château-Thierry broadcast will open in May. The deployment of DAB+ and its audience are accelerating rapidly in France and FG has supported the deployment of this new broadcasting method from the outset. Radio FG broadcasts its programmes in 32 cities on FM and DAB+.

A new digital radio network for Plymouth is to launch later this year, after broadcast regulator Ofcom awarded a licence to a group led by the company behind Devon’s Radio Exe. It means that Plymouth and the surrounding area could receive up to 25 new radio stations broadcasting on DAB+ digital radio. Broadcast regulator Ofcom is rolling out such services nationally, and asked for groups interested in running the service to apply last year. PlymDab, the successful applicant, will now install two transmitters that together will reach round 250,000 listeners around Plymouth, West Devon and South East Cornwall.

Small-scale DAB licenses have been awarded to Higher Rhythm Limited in Doncaster, PlymDab in Plymouth, and Mid Yorkshire DAB Limited in Wakefield. The areas are part of Round 4 of the licensing process, which has now seen 12 out of a potential 24 awarded so far. 23 of the new small-scale multiplexes are already on air across the United Kingdom; licences are granted for seven years from start of broadcasting, with a further five-year renewal period available.

Radio 7, aimed at the residents of Mława, Ciechanów and Żuromin, has joined BCAST's DABCAST experimental multiplex in Wrocław. Owned by Cyfrowy Polsat, the mux also broadcasts Muzyczne Radio from Jelenia Góra, Radio Bezpieczna Podróż from Legionowo, Radio Maryja, Muzo.fm, Wrocław-based Radio Ram and, from the end of January, Radio Jasna Góra from Częstochowa.

In the coming months, France Bleu's DAB+ broadcasting will be gradually extended to new stations in the network, including France Bleu Armorique, France Bleu Béarn, France Bleu Besançon, France Bleu Breiz Izel, France Bleu Limousin, France Bleu Lorraine Nord, France Bleu Pays Basque, France Bleu Pays d'Auvergne and France Bleu Sud Lorraine. Since 1 March 2023, France Bleu Champagne Ardenne has been available on DAB+ with 7 new transmitters for nearly 858,000 inhabitants. This new broadcasting of this network station allows France Bleu to be received in DAB+ digital radio by nearly 28 million inhabitants, i.e. 42.9% of the French metropolitan population.

On Wednesday 1 March, TDF is launching the broadcasting of DAB+ digital radio at its transmission sites in Reims-ville (Marne), Troyes-Saint-André-les-Vergers (Aube), Sompuis (Marne) and Berru (Marne). These four TDF sites cover the Reims conurbation, the towns of Troyes and Vitry-le-François and, more widely, the A26 motorway for reception in cars. A fifth TDF broadcasting site will be brought into service by the summer to cover the town of Château-Thierry and the A4 motorway to Reims. The population in this area will eventually be able to receive thirteen radio stations in digital quality.

In order to ensure the journalistic diversity of commercial radio stations in the Free State of Saxony and to further promote the migration from FM to DAB+, the Media Council of the Saxony Media Authority (SLM) agreed in its meeting on 28 February 2023 on funding for simulcast broadcasting and adopted a corresponding statute. Funding is available to broadcasters of commercial radio stations based in Saxony who, on the basis of corresponding licences from the SLM, broadcast their programmes simultaneously in digital terrestrial (DAB+) and analogue terrestrial (FM) via transmitter sites located in Saxony.